Life is Not Normal
by Ye Oldest Cooper
Summary: Arcadia Bay is in ruins. Max and Chloe make their way in the world without their parents and without Max's powers. But upon discovering a mysterious new power, and that one of their friends survived the storm, they embark together on a new adventure, in a new town to deal with old problems. I love, Marsh. I love Caulfield. I love Price. I really love PriceFieldMarsh. Read and enjoy
1. Life Is Not Normal

**Life Is Not Normal**

 **Prologue**

 _Max's wrist and ankles were straining on the tape, holding her fast to the uncomfortable wooden chair in the middle of the streets of Arcadia Bay; her urgency intensified, as she realised her hometown was being obliterated by an E6 tornado. She pulled and pulled and pulled, but couldn't untether herself. Her eyes were watering with tears of frustration, her waif frame somehow not being blown away in the storm. Suddenly, people she recognised were looking directly at her, right into her dark eyes. The first was the woman she'd known since she was 6: Joyce Madsen:_

 _"Maxine Caulfield! After all the years I've known you, how can you let me die? In a diner of all places! Scared, frightened, in a diner – thanks for everything Maxine"_

 _Right in her place a new figure appeared – her second husband, David Madsen, war vet and her saviour:_

 _"You let my wife die?! You let everyone die except you and Chloe?! I save your life and you let me die too? I hope you really proud of yourself Maxine Caulfield"_

 _She'd been squirming even harder the more times she'd heard these manifests say 'Maxine': it was NEVER Maxine. Then her friend, Warren Graham, the boy she'd friendzoned even when the end was nigh appeared, black-eyed and bruised knuckled looking painfully like the cage fighter he never was:_

 _"I know you never wanted to go to the cinema with me, but why this? Why doom me? What have I done to deserve this? No wonder you never saw that special folder for you on my memory drive; you're selfish Max. No, worse…you're a bitch! If it was me and you, would you make same choice? No. Brooke? No. Stella? No. Just your girlfriend…I wish I'd never met you Max…"_

 _Warren too dissolved. Frank Bowers, drug dealer aspiring for more, appeared:_

 _"You made the wrong choice Max. When you see that all this was never worth it for Chloe, you come back to Arcadia Bay and apologise to me. And Pompidou too"_

 _Max started to cry, and she knew she needed to speak up, but whenever she tried to answer, they disappeared. Then she saw a pixie cut and eternal bitch face appear infront of her, flanked by two other girls, too with bitch faces and sneering lips. Victoria Chase, even now, was haunting her:_

 _"Fuck you Maxine. Fuck you and you and analog cameras, cheap clothed, waif hipster bullshit! Fuck you murdering us for some blue-haired steampunk whore. Go fuck your whore, and then go fuck your selfie!"_

 _Then they disappeared in a cackling echo into the storm, followed by house tiles and car tyres. The Two Whale's Diner was then being ripped apart from the force of the storm. The visions were getting more intense. Then she saw Juliet Watson, her boyfriend Zach, Dana and also Trevor and Justin._

 _"Maxine! You made us both die single!" Juliet yelled at her._

 _"We had a future ahead of us. You just had to ruin it, like you ruin everything" Zach followed._

 _Dana had her hands rested over her stomach, as did Trevor. They looked right at her, with that look saying more than anything possible; they knew Max knew, and they knew Max knew what she'd done._

 _Then came another one; a red Leatherman jacket appearing in view coating a very scrawny boy, who was nevertheless violently unstable. Nathan Prescott, the boy who caused it all:_

 _"Hey dyke!" He yelled, "Hey dyke!" He repeated, steadily growing in volume "Dyke! Virgin! Fishmonger! Rugmuncher! Above all though, you are a bitch – a poor, worthless, unloved bitch! Of all the people I should be sorry to, you are not one of them. See you in hell, Max Cock-field"_

 _This nightmare was as real as anything because, even though these people couldn't possibly have ever said these things, but can easily have thought them, as they too stared right into the eye of the blazing storm that she caused, and then let it have its way with her hometown, with her friends, and with all the people who never deserved it. Max leaned over and sobbed in the chair, so immobile that even the house-eating storm wasn't moving her one inch. That hurt more – the entrapment of everything. And it then got worse, in the distance, she saw another apparition, but one that immediately triggered the fight/flight responses in her head._

 _"Hello Max." Mr Jefferson called from the middle of the Tornado, walking towards her. Max started hyperventilating, her heart running at 1,000 miles an hour as fear pulsated within every fibre of her being. He had his camera around his neck, and then he rose it to take a picture of her "Max. You are my best model, of everyone. I mean, Rachel Amber visually reflected the light in so many ways, but she could never get what you have: that innocence to corruption. You, Max, are many shades of grey"_

 _"Put that camera down Mr Jefferson!"_

 _"Come on Max! You know what you are – a woman who tries her best for everyone, but then, in the split second to tear a photo apart and abandon a town of thousands of people to almost certain death. To be soft but yet hard, to be compassionate but yet commit genocide on a huge scale. You are grey – and truly unique"_

 _"I…I…No, I didn't leave them to die – I chose to save my best friend, who I love…"_

 _"LOVE?!" He screamed "You did it because of fear, not love. Because Chloe Price is what makes you something; otherwise you're just a wasted, selfie-taking, meddling waste of Blackwell funds and resources. Am I wrong?"_

 _"Yes – yes you are!" She defiantly stated "Everything you did makes everything you say meaningless to me!_

 _"That's better, be more like that!" He leered in closer, showing her face in full view of the storm he helped create "Now that expression on your face – anger, not remorse – is perfect for this visual; of a storm that will rip through the town and kill everyone. Tells so much more than your glib words ever could" He zoomed in closer on her face, and she squinted "You called me a Psychopath. I doubt you could judge, because you've done makes what you say to me meaningless…right?" He mocked her. Her fear started to take hold again, and then he yelled "KEEP…YOUR…EXPRESSION! Don't look mournful, look angry. You wanted this – you made this happen!"_

 _Max looked up at him, her nails hurting as she scratched like hell at the arms on the chair to get away. "Stay…away…from me Jefferson" She cried, "Stay…away from me!" Her eyes were bulging out as the tears continued to flow, and he got so close the camera was practically kissing her, until she couldn't do it anymore: "GET AWAY! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!" Her limbs shooting out in all directions as she refused to be held in anymore, to be restrained and judged, to be violated…_

Chloe held Max's arms behind her back, a common restraining technique that she'd experienced from being arrested multiple times, and she used all her strength to hold her down as Max scratched and thrashed around like a Thresher Shark, in utter terror, as she had been for the last half an hour as she slept. Still, the constant shrieking "GET AWAY!" reverberated underneath the tarpaulin cover on the back of Chloe's pick-up where they slept, and it was terrifying her.

"Max, stop it!" She finally snapped, and Max immediately opened her eyes. Silence filled the air for a second, and then came tears, snot and whole lot of crying. Chloe hugged her from behind; her hands nestled around Max's slim waist to hold her close and hold her tight. Her unseen facial expression was tired one. The tarpaulin cover – which they "borrowed" from someone as they left town – was going to save them hundreds of dollars on accommodation but they knew they were losing hours of sleep through this. What goes without saying is that she was holding up the one who was the supportive one of the two of them; even when her powers to rewind weren't necessary she always held everything together, and if there's one thing Chloe didn't know, it was how to bring up someone who was as low as you could get. She felt as bad as Max did, and Max was the one who caused the destruction of an entire town, and for her. The mix of gratitude and horror is one that has linked them forever; a blood bond forever. The crying stopped, and Max rolled over to face her, looking the blue haired punk chick in the eyes; Max's eyes were worn and watery, like a child whose favourite toy is broken, and Chloe's were more subdued, but were tinged with regret.

Max spoke first "Chloe…yes or no only"

"OK Max. What is it?"

"Am I a total fucking shitting bastard of a person?"

"No" Her response was immediate "Please stop thinking that; I like Super Max, not Max 'I'm in Emotional' Payne" The remark did earn a chuckle from her.

"You are the master of bringing the mood up Miss Price. I need it. It's just…I know you said _'whatever decision you make, I know you'll make the right one'_. I know I made the right one, but I can't believe I made that choice."

"Well, I can't believe my days of complaining about David are now replaced by me sleeping in the back of my car with some hot brunette with, like, the BEST taste in pants"

"Chloe please…you know that most of the pants are Rachel's anyways. Good thing she left a load at your place. But…listen, I had this dream. Jefferson was there, so was Warren, and your parents, Victoria, Taylor, Courtney, Nathan, Zach, Juilet, Dana, and Trevor and Justin. Even Frank was there…the shit they said to me. Jefferson was the worst – it was like being back in that dark room all over again…!"

"…Come here Max" Chloe just pulled her close and kissed her strong and passionately, the way she always does "He really did a number on you, and he did the same to others. He's likely gone anyway though, and at least he'll be in hella trouble for it wherever he goes. Prick"

"He hurt me. I have no scars, but it feels dirty on my skin"

"Then let me clean you off" Chloe said, flirtatiously

"You? Clean me up? You're way too dirty for that" Max teased back, and kissed her hard. The kiss escalated into a Tongue twisting, pulse-racing thrill for both of the girls that managed to numb everything, and they just made the passionate motions towards one another, like being on autopilot. When it stopped, both of their feelings came back, so Chloe looked up and responded "See, you may as well write 'Dirty, please clean' on my butt" And they returned to the way they were; asleep in others arm. Just before she went off, Max mumbled "If I could still reverse time…I'd let this replay forever"…

Morning broke; it was 9:00am, and Max was up and walking around the truck. The truck had been parked out on the roadside all night. It was just on a mound of grass just off the road where no one would hit them, supposedly, and so no-one might sneak up on them as they slept. Max looked back the way they'd been driving all day the day before, where Arcadia Bay was – was as in 'was there but now isn't'. Max was all cried up, and she couldn't even do that. She reattached the tarpaulin cover on the back of the truck where Chloe still slept. Suddenly, over the hill, she saw a small rabbit jump up over the hill, and in a moment that could only be described as habit, she reached for her camera – William Price's camera – to realise that she no longer had it. Her sadness however was immediately overpowered by the cuteness of this little bunny. She walked in closer, her hand outstretched ahead of her – exactly the way she'd been when looking after Alice. She walked closer and closer, the rabbit looked right at her…and then it was gone.

"No! Come back, please" Max begged. She held out her hand, trying to use what remained of her time powers. She held out her hand, straining hard, but accomplishing nothing "Maybe it's for the best I don't that power anymore…AHHHHH!" She suddenly cried out in pain:

 _From further down the road, a truck came speeding down the bend…the load it was carrying arching in a painful swerve right towards where they were resting in the pick-up truck as Chloe and her slept. The cargo swerved around, flying up the mound and sideswiping the pick-up, rolling it violently, resulting in almost certain death was simply being washing-machined in the back of the truck, as they slept._

Back in reality, Max looked up the road to see an eighteen wheeler swerving violently, and heading right towards them down the road. Max, her head in a panic, ripped away the tarpaulin and exposing her eyes to the sun.

"Max, what are you doing?!" She yelled, as Max grabbed the car keys from right next to her, and quick as a whip, she jumped into the front seat, activated the ignition and not even giving a shit about the seat belt slammed into reverse.

The truck up the road swerved the way she saw in her premonition, but the cargo missed them, as she didn't see. Max only saw red, she jumped out the pick-up. The driver however also had the same idea. Out jumped a 6' 2'' bearded fat man with a receding hairline. He maundered is way towards them, clearly drunk as a skunk. He raised a finger towards Max.

"You…" He slurred "You shouldn't have been there. You…you are endangering other road users!"

"What?" Max scoffed "You nearly killed us! And we have every right to park there – it's a piece of land with no deeds or owners"

"You…you lie! You young homeless people these days…"

"Are you drunk?" Max fought back "What's the law on driving drunk in the US?"

"Shut…up! You made me lose my cargo, you cost me my wages…BITCH!" He was no longer maundering now; now he was full blown crazy angry. Suddenly he stopped, looking up at the blue-haired tattooed punk standing on top of the pick-up, holding a gun. "And who are you?"

"Oh, y'know, just people minding their own business. People who've nearly died hella bunch o'times over the last week. And I personally am sick of it. So take your truck, and fuck off" Chloe swagged as she pointed the gun at him.

They looked up to see him angrily walk back to the lorry. On the side of it, they could see the word 'Construction' written on it, as he went and drove back the way he came. The possible guess was that these were supplies intended for the Pans Estate project over in Arcadia Bay – because really needs the Prescott's getting richer whilst everyone lives out of their cars (if they weren't already destroyed).

Chloe jumped out and went to speak to Max, gun in the back of her jeans inside a holster. She took the small and slender brunette in her arms "Max…what just happened – you couldn't possibly have known the way that cargo could've gone, unless you'd seen it. You said you couldn't rewind…"

"I can't" Max confirmed "When I was in the toilet, I saw a butterfly and could rewind mistakes that were made in the world…I saw that rabbit and I could see the future…" Max kneeled over "Not again!" She started, not sad but certainly frustrated "This really cannot be…being…cereal!" She shouted on the side of the road "More time/space continuum fucked up, more people gone. This is not fair…"

"Max…" Chloe held her from behind "It's OK. I'm here for you. And that's how we're going to get through this. I am always here for you" As Chloe hugged tighter, her voice tailed off slightly "Is that the rabbit you just saw?"

Max raised her head, to see the same rabbit as before, to realise it was more of a hare – it was bigger, and its eyes and jaw were more pointed. "Yes that's it, hello buddie" Max started "You look like a buddie…come here" And this time the hare did indeed come closer "You remind of my friend's old rabbit, however s…AHHHHH!" She screamed out again, the effects of this power being seemingly more agonising than her previous ones. Chloe held her as she saw another vision, but this one was seemingly more optimistic…

 _The van takes a left, then a right, then another right, pulling up to a white house in the middle of a suburban, crisp white neighbourhood. The Postbox out the front of the house read 'The Marsh Residents'. Looking at it, Chloe gives it a good "rat-ta-tat-tat", tinging with emptiness. "Good she says – means they're in. Go on, let's be chums and not chumps Time Girl". Her and Max run to the door, the hare under Chloe's arm, and give the door a good "rat-ta-tat-tat". What seems like a minute but is actually a lot less, and the door opens: there, dressed in white pyjamas with pretty duck patterns across the front, and diamond like bottoms that keep the white, prettified Christian theme running through stood Max's second favourite person ever, Kate Marsh. The look on the young girl's face was at once jubilant and pleasant. Eyes that shone brighter than the two Moons everyone had witnessed the night of the aptly named 'The End of the World' party, and a smile that exceeded warmth and compassion. The only word out her mouth before she gave Max a vice like hug was "Yes"_

"…AHHHH!" Max finished screaming "How far are we from Portland?" She asked.

"Really?" Chloe inquired "You scream on the floor like you taken something big up your ass, and your first question is about Portland?"

"I saw Kate! I saw Kate Marsh, alive and well, back at her house in Portland; she made it. SOMEONE that we both know and love made it out alive!" Max was super happy with this revelation "God was for you Kate. I told you"

"Max – that's great news and everything, but what are we going to achieve when we get there. At Seattle we can be with your parents – have a roof, have food…"

"What we'll achieve, I don't know but…Chloe it's another 4 hours to Seattle, we can be in Portland in a day…"

"Fine" Chloe sounded abrupt with Max for a good reason; the plan was set, the options were minimal and it was the best choice for them. Additionally, she could see what was going through Max's head, and even as her best lover/friend, she could smell the survivors guilt on her. She smelt it on David, and now she smells it on her "Well, let's go see my second favourite superhero; Bible Girl"

"Well, yes. Everyone knows Batman is the best superhero ever" Max laughed. She pulled herself up, and picked up the hare gently by the middle and scooped him up "Come along Buddy – we're going on a road trip"

"What, Bunny Boy here your spirit animal now or something?"

"Kate likes rabbits, so let's give her something she'll like"

Chloe opened up the door to the truck and leapt in, the same you'd see her jump a fence or a bench when she was at her best, and Max followed with hare in tow. "You remember the address?"

"Yeah, I saw it on a Postbox" Despite her below average GPA score, Max did have an exceptional memory for a lot of things that could easily not be considered or acknowledged.

"At least here we can't go wrong. And by the way, you're wrong – Super Max is my favourite superhero. Batman's third" Chloe smiled "I mean, you are the only hero I know who can lose powers, and then get completely new ones – I mean that's hot"

Max sat as Chloe aggressively swung the car around to drive back the way they'd just gone.

Max suddenly spoke "Two question…" she asked before looking right at Chloe "Firstly, didn't you watch Misfits? From England – they all got new powers at a certain point" She watched as Chloe shook her head "And secondly…" Max slightly snickered "…how do you know what it sounds like to have something big up your ass?"

Chloe only took her eyes off the road for a second – she gave a big cheeky wink to her very own superhero.


	2. Repairing The Cracks

**Life Is Not Normal**

 **Chapter One: Repairing the Cracks**

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that, it started with a kiss now we're up to bat!" sung the radio – _The Game of Love_ by Carlos Santana, with vocals by Michelle Branch and supporting vocals from Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. The two sung the track on a repeat as they drove down to Portland from the side of the road, taking a slightly longer route to avoid having to go past Arcadia Bay. Chloe put it best: "More time to 'rawk out'! Max and Chloe, shaking their thang and looking damn sexy doing it!"

Just over two and a half hours after they'd set off, in Portland they'd arrived with the only goal in mind being to find the elusive Bible Girl, bringing the wondrous gifts of friendship and a rabbit. Chloe turned to her friend, for one final streetwise point to explain one last thing to Max before they made it to their ultimate destination

"Kate's a sensitive girl, wouldn't you say?" She asked.

"About as sensitive as anyone from her background, who almost went through with what she planned because of people literally being as cruel as you can get. Not to mention what the truth was"

"Max, this girl is a wallflower. Be careful with her"

"Max, we may not even get onto the topic of the video…"

"I don't mean that silly. I mean…literally everything fucking thing EXCEPT the video"

"Chloe I won't literally say to her after knocking on the door, by the way that storm was destructive and took every person you've known for the last month away from you, and I caused it. Oh, and you were a plaything for a person you put a heavy amount of trust in. I'm not that weird"

Chloe looked at her and smiled. Then, in a moment of beautiful bad taste, in a Chinese accent she said "Young grasshopper, you are not as wise as the world around you is!"

"Sensei, I perform crouching tiger hidden dog for you" She returned with a smile. Max was certainly gathering more confidence being around Chloe, or at least that was obvious for the last week. Right now circumstances were her trying to build herself back up to where she was by Thursday, which for her was 6 days ago. For Chloe, it was 2 "I'm sure Kate just wants to be shown that someone did make it. That and I have no idea how she is anyway"

"I know. I texted Mum, step-hero, Justin, Trevor. I think the radio towers were all severed during the storm: wait, no, I know for certain that is true. They may all be dead though" She said with the same grave expression as a Cop. She could see there was solid traffic up ahead, so she leaned back, put on the handbrake and reached into her pocket; she only had 5 cigarettes left, and right now she just needed one. She gripped the stick of tar between two fingers, and then between her lips. She motioned to Max if she wanted one, with Max too taking one and smoking it. Max took a strong, deep inhale on the cigarette and held it in like a repressed emotion "Wow" Chloe commented "Your first cigarette?"

"Yeah" Max confirmed

"Man Max, you are certainly hardcore. On my first cigarette I almost vomited"

"Well what did you expect your 13 year old lungs have think about the Nicotine?"

"Touché"

"Merci belle dame aux cheveux bleus" Max snapped back, smiling a self-impressed smile, pleased with both her language skills and her general company.

"Jesus Max. Well if the Canadians invade, I know exactly who I'm teaming up with" Chloe smiled back "Me and Max Caulfield, taking on the world, just like when we were…"

"Pirates?"

"Yes. EXACTLY like when we were pirates". Chloe noticed the traffic still up ahead and honked her horn "Why the fuck you got Traffic? On a Saturday of all times!" She looked to her left – a Newspaper stand stood there "Max, let's get a Newspaper. I got the cash for it. As hard as it we need to stay informed"

Max sighed a deep sigh, emotionally preparing for the mental scars to be stroked by an almost certain likelihood of the E6 Tornado being blazed all across the front page. Turning to Chloe, who handed her $1, she gave the bravest nod she could go. Jumping through the car door, she quickly ran over to the stand, taking a single paper, and then sprinting back to the car. She looked at the front cover – but the front cover wasn't the story she expected it to be, especially in the wake of that storm. The front cover read the headline _**"Portland Pounder reaches 20 victims"**_. "Chloe. It's not the front page" Max said mild disgust "It's just thi…AHHHHHH!" Screams followed as she had a second vision…

 _A black room, no features, no light, the only thing inside is a man with a knife in his hand and blood up his arm. His face and his body are obscured, as is the body he's leaning over. The only thing that is for certain is what he's crying out in shock. Maybe he's in sorrow. All Max can see and see is a man leaning over and screaming at a body…_

"…AHHHHHHH!" The scream stopped. Max looked to the side, and looked at Chloe "That…was…horrible! I hate this new power"

"Can tell Max 'Head' Payne" She said "What's this bullshit!" She then snapped, looking at the front page "Who cares about these 20 people – where's the storm?" She took the paper and skipped through Page 6; there, on half the page was an article on the Arcadia Bay Tornado "Half a page. Fucking half a fucking middle fucking page!" Chloe spat, in disgust.

Max took the article, and what it spoke about was how the storm came in out of nowhere, with some passages comparing it to the 1986 Hurricane that hit England. They wrote that the figure of victims has already reached triple figures, and however many got out when they had the chance was unconfirmed, given that the signal towers and powerlines were severed during the storm. The final part of the article read that the Prescott's had bailed on the city, and that whether they'd be using their insurmountable funds to help the town or claim insurance payments on their current ventures that failed remained to be seen. Max looked at the part where it said "triple figures": HUNDREDS were dead. That phrase stuck in her mouth like bile, and the question of the A and the B choices rebounded around in her head. She looked at the paper, and took an inhale with her cigarette.

" _Not anymore!"_ _Max tore the butterfly photo in two and watched it float off into the distance. She stared off into the colossal storm as it grew in strength and power, making its way steadily towards the town – it reminded Max, inappropriately, of Pac-Man with the way that it moved slowly across the ocean to devour the town. She stood, solemn yet vicarious, watching it unfold._

" _I'll always be with you Max" Chloe said._

" _Forever" Was the reply._

" _Well, it's not like I have a choice now do I?!" Chloe shouted, as she shot out a hand, landing right across Max's face. The strength of the hit knocked Max right over, blood pouring from her nose. She held up her hands to protect her face, but the much bigger Chloe was on top of her, arms pinned down by her side. Chloe looked a mass of blue fury, leaning right over Max and holding her down "Oh what, what you going to do? Rewind, bring the picture back? Bring that motherfucking TOWN of innocent people back? Oh I'm SO SCARED OF SUPER MAX! Go on, use your powers, and get me off you!" She lifted a hand towards her back pocket, and Max wanted to use that hand to push her off but she couldn't even move. What Chloe produced was a cigarette, and a lighter "So, you save me cos you want, what, some smoking hot kiss? Or maybe a little more – like with me and Rachel?" Max was paralyzed with fear "Choose Max – NEW CHOICE BITCH! I burn your mouth, or I stick this cigarette someplace else? A little pain, or a lot. It's not much different to me, is it? IS IT?!" The one free hand grabbed Max by the neck of her t-shirt, and tugged at it much like a rowing motion. Max closed her eyes as she felt herself become naked in a tear of cloth. Naked and afraid, she whimpered under Chloe's weight. Cigarette right in front of her face, "You made the wrong choice Max!" Chloe snarled "You made the wrong choice! Max, you made the wrong choice! Those variations repeated around and around as the cigarette went towards her…_

"Max, wake up!" A new scream came from Chloe. Max looked up at her, slightly terrified. "Chloe looked back at her "You really are messed up aren't you? Please don't look at me like that – I would never hurt, and I could never hurt you"

"I know Chloe. I do know that, I swear" She looked at the road, and saw they were approaching Kate's "Take the right" She said "No, it's…like the nightmares I had before. Like, bad juju or something. I'm just lucky you're here with me – I know I'm a pain, but with memories from the past haunting me, and visions from the future really splitting my head open, you are the best person I could do it with"

"Max, you were there for me, I'm here for you"

"Take a left"

"No problem Cap'n" She smiled.

Following the instructions, they made it to the door, as per the premonition. Max checked the Postbox, where it did say 'The Marsh Residents', and Chloe gives the letterbox a beat "Good, means they're in. Let's me chum and not chumps Time Girl".

"Well," Max thought "There are some parts of the Premonition that actually ring true"

Chloe had the rabbit under her arm and her and Max ran to the door, and her own little beat that mimicked Chloe's "Well, I'm flattered young Skywalker" She said. That was one difference at least.

Then both of them stood, waiting for the door to open, as expected, and sure enough the door opened big and wide, to a clueless Kate, who opened the door outwards with tissues in hand. She looked up, as per the visions, and just said "Yes!" as she grabbed Max with a vice-like grip and hugged her totally.

"Hi Kate" Max awkwardly begun "You're kinda choking me right now"

"Oh sorry" Kate said as she brushed Max down "It's just…after the storm, to hear someone made it, it's a miracle to see you survive. You saved me Max, and I'd like to think that you surviving is the work of God"

"Erm…yes, maybe" Max started "We…we bought you a rabbit" Yep, it was really that smooth.

"OK. I mean, he's no Alice but I would happily take him thanks" She took both Chloe and Max by the hand and lead them into the house. "Mum, Dad. We have some visitors: some friends from Blackwell" Kate continued leading them through the house to the kitchen, which was almost sickeningly white. It was like a hospital ward which would likely make Kate even more uncomfortable as one would naturally assume. It did, however, provide tranquillity at least to the place, which would be good for all of them. "Take a seat" Kate offered "Tea or Coffee?"

"Well, you know me Kate" Max joked "Tea, like the old times"

"Coffee. Milky, please" Chloe answered "I'm Chloe by the way – I drove Kate to the hospital when she came to visit you"

"Oh hello. Sorry, I should've asked. It's great to meet you – a friend of Max is a friend of mine" And she walked off to fetch the required drinks. Outside the door, she could only look at the pair of them and shed a single tear of happiness that they were all fine.

"Well she's just so diddums" Chloe started.

"Please, don't be patronising; she's a lot stronger than she looks"

"Can tell you like her. By the way, not sure if I said it, but you did a great thing talking her down from that roof; the time when it was just Max the person and no-one else and you did it. I hope you know that"

"I feel…weird about you. I never thought about her on that clifftop, and how can I tell her…"

"Wait up" Chloe started "Tell her? That's your plan – I thought your plan was to say hi and go. Do you think she could ever live with you if you did indeed tell her the truth, no, never mind that, who's to say she'll believe you?"

"You believed me"

"Touché. Again" She said, despondently "But you could prove that to me, and it was something you had control over. These 'headaches', what's even up with them?"

"Tea and Milky Coffee – Max, I know you like the flavoured teas so I got you one" Kate came back in, tea on tray and a smile on her face. She placed it down "So Chloe, what do you do?"

"I fixed cars, back in Arcadia Bay. Not officially, more like freelance tweaking and tuning, tyres changes and sh…"

"Please don't swear" Max started "I'm pretty certain Kate doesn't want that"

"OK, sorry" Chloe continued "But yes I worked at that after I dropped out of Blackwell 2 years ago. My stepdad had a lot of tools and cars so I worked on them and other peoples too"

"What did your stepdad do?"

"He worked at Blackwell – David Madsen, the security guy?"

"Ohhhhh…" Kate begun "He was never very nice to me…"

"Well, sorry. For what it's worth he saved mine and Max's life. How he is, or how my Mum is I don't yet know"

"I understand. There are people in Arcadia Bay I haven't yet heard from and don't know about yet, even people I don't…love, but I still fear for their wellbeing"

"Well Kate, you're a better person than me. Many people in the Bay I still haven't given a thought to, probably never will. Didn't know their names, their jobs, who could be alive or dead, didn't think on it"

"That's sounds sad" Kate said, but not with pity, instead with curiosity "What about your Mum? What does she do?"

"Worked at the Diner – Joyce"

"Oh she was sweet. Was always nice, and always asked me how I was doing, being motherly and warming. I hope she's fine"

"Me too, thank you. Max and I got lucky; we decided to go off to the Cliffs across from the Bay – through the woods and to the Lighthouse. We decided that the dense trees would keep the wind away from the two of us, and then we made it up to the Lighthouse. We…we…saw it" She choked slightly on that last line.

"That is lucky. I never would think a cliff would be a safe place to be during a Tornado, and oh my, I wouldn't be able to watch something like that – I can barely watch R rated movies. I was already back here by Friday morning when my parents came to collect me from the hospital, so…maybe God was watching over me too I guess"

"Say, do you mind we don't talk religion?" Max asked "Just…I find it a slippery topic"

"OK, sure. Hey, I just need to go check on my parents really quickly, but I've got some things to show you. I'll only be a second"

Chloe and Max sat drinking as they watched Kate leave the room and once Kate was past the door, Chloe turned to her and gave a big smile and a longing look into the eyes and started leaning closer, and closer, and closer, then kissed Max right on the lips, which instantly reciprocated. The kiss was romantic, slow and tender, and only interrupted by Kate coming back to the room.

"Guys! My parents and sisters are still in the house – you guys can't be doing that here!" Her tone was more light than bothered, and Chloe and Max only really responded by smiling wryly. In Kate's hands were pictures of a very light hearted nature – it was a book about bullying that she'd started writing in the hospital back at Arcadia Bay that was already at the end of the first part. She passed the pages around, first to Max and then Chloe.

"Whoa, this is rad!" Chloe immediately said "There's a future in this Kate, I just know it!"

"Yeah Kate, I always love looking at your pictures – so lively and colourful"

"Lynn likes this one the most out of all the books I've done. She's my 10 year old sister; Alyx doesn't yet know as I haven't shown it to her yet, but I hope she will. She just wants to do her thing"

Then they were joined by a tall man, circular glasses and a receding hairline, dressed in an all-black suit "You must be Max, right? I don't think I ever got to thank you properly for everything you did" He walked over to Max, and extended both arms out and he took the girl in a hug not much tighter than the one Kate gave her – he did, however, last much less time "Me and the girls were all grateful for your bravery and dependency for Kate" He took a walk around and put his hands on Kate's shoulders, an affectionate gesture that Kate wholeheartedly returned "I…I wouldn't what you've happened if you weren't there. To an extent, I kind of blame myself; I wonder if I could've done more, should've done better. I wonder if I'd known what on Earth she was going through…but you were there for me" Holding back the tears, he hugged his daughter to him as she smiled. Letting her go, he looked at Max and Chloe. "Max, is there anything we can do to repay you?"

"Mr Marsh, you…"

"Richard, please. Always Richard; I insist. And my wife is Suanne, if you meet her. And I have to offer you both something"

"That's fine"

"Well Max, and…?" He motioned towards Chloe "Where are you living, after the storm?"

"Chloe, and in the back of my truck. We got a tarpaulin cover as we drove out of town but it's mighty uncomfortable"

"OK, so you need a place to stay, and probably work until the town becomes more functional right?"

"Richard, that's too much!" Max insisted.

"You take pictures right Max? My church is looking for an internal Wedding Photographer, and they have very regular Weddings there; you can earn good money and I can guarantee you that job" He smiled as Max smiled too "And Chloe, I overheard you say you were good with cars. Again, I know a few people who could use someone like you. And you guys can stay here, until you can leave, rent free but if you want any extra food, you pay for that"

Chloe and Max looked at each other, simply reacting by giving a solid fist bump, turning and saying in unison "Deal"

"OK. You don't mind sharing the guestroom out the back – I would give you the nicer ones, but we've got people coming. Kate, did you remember that your cousins are coming over tonight?"

"Yes. It'll be nice" She replied, smiling still

"Oh Richard, if you've got peo…AHHHHHHHHHH!" Max started talking, when yet another vision came over her.

 _The image was of Richard and Suanne kneeling over and crying into their shoulders. Kate reads the front-page of newspaper and hands it to Max, as her and Chloe keep Lynn and Alyx away from the commotion as Max laid the paper down and looked at the front-page. The headline read_ _ **'Portland Pounder escalates to Murder!'**_ _, and the article in question explained that on a field not far from where they lived, the body of Lucy Marsh, daughter of Allen Marsh, niece of Richard Marsh, had been found with almost 20 bone fractures, multiple deep bruising and internal bleeding as a result of severe beating; this number was significantly higher and injuries far more violent than with previous attacks but it was believed that it was the same man; the shape and momentum of the wounds wrote out any chance of it being a copycat, and that she'd died after going missing over the weekend. There was a picture of healthy Lucy Marsh in the paper as well – a slim 5'8" girl with dirty blonde hair, like Kate, and brown eyes. The article spoke of a painful death, and Max felt the hurt they all felt in that moment…_

"…AHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream stopped. Chloe leaped out as Max steadied and she held her.

"Max? You OK – you having another…erm…[looking for the right word]…moment?"

"Yes…yes I did. A big one" She looked up to Richard and Kate, and saw that not only were they perplexed, but there were also the other women of the Marsh house standing over her: Suanne, looking mildly disgusted, and Alyx and Lynn were both there, shaking Kate and asking her things in her ear, presumably about Max. "Say, Kate, I know it's a weird time with everything, but I really fancy out of our signature tea sessions. I really just need…caffeine. I have caffeine withdrawals – it's why I occasionally scream"

Chloe in turn interrupted "Say folks – our new folks. Do mind if Max and I have a chat out by the front?"

"What the fuck Max?" Chloe tried her best to keep her voice in the street – walls have ears and her and Max never wanted the neighbours to start talking.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you STILL plan on telling the religious girl about the Supernatural truth behind the storm? About the Supernatural truth about…well…you!"

Max flapped her arms by her side like a confused chicken "I'll put it in a way she'll understand! I'm not that ignorant…"

Chloe rubbed her arms in return "You know…she reminds me of that rabbit – wise, caring, all loving. Something you need to keep an eye on…I want to protect her Max, and I know you do too. This idea of telling her is hella stupid; but at least you're doing it on your own turf at least…"

"Wow!" Max sounding mildly impressed "Normally I'm the emotionally centred one!"

"Well, NORMALLY I'm the emotionally fucked up one Max – now it's changed, and I need to watch out for you; you made a choice that you should never have had to make, with no idea how it would come out. You didn't know if Kate lived, which buildings would get irreparably fucked up, if anyone else you loved died, and I want you to know that I'm not sleeping with you because I'm grateful that you chose me, I'm sleeping with you – and I love you – for the way you are and who you are" She then hugged Max tightly "Tell me, in the car, while we were in that jam, you fell asleep until it cleared, and I parked up at the side of the road, you had a nightmare. For the sake of our friendship, please tell me what it was"

Max shook her head "I…I…can't Chloe. I'm still trying to figure it out myself"

Chloe let go of the hug, and stared at her.

"It was at the Lighthouse. I tore the photo and you…attacked me"

"Attacked you?"

"You beat me to the floor, stripped me and burned my body with a cigarette. Like I said, I'm still trying to figure it out, and I know you don't think that, but I just keep thinking it"

"Well cut it out – like you said, you know I don't think that. They're only nightmares; they can't hurt you in reality"

They turned to see Kate stood away from them. She was wearing some new clothes, she stood slightly taller than normal in new heels, and a single white dress that had a solid front and back, no shoulders and came slightly above the knee "Max, I know a good tea shop in the town centre. They do all kinds of tea – Flavoured, Exotic, Alcoholic. It's called Tea Galleria; it's a 30 minute drive. I do need to get out, and I think you do too"

Chloe turned to her "Well Mad Max – you can drive. I'll stay here, Richard needs a hand with the gearbox in his Focus, don't worry, I'll be fine"

Max was still in the exact same clothes from the night of the storm, and despite the shower she'd had before leaving, she was feeling pretty funky. Certainly if any boys came talking to them throughout the night, Kate would be the one getting the attention, which would be too bad for the both of them. Max was quiet on the drive over to Tea Galleria, which was fine because Kate was too; every time Kate looked over to her to try and talk, she seemed to get greeted by an aura of silence; not in a cruel way, but in a detached, nothing-to-say-so-say-nothing kind of way. Max was thinking of how to break things to her, and Kate was thinking how great it was that the person who saved her life was still alive. She was also thinking about many other things – there was the Portland Pounder in the papers, there was her future that may be wrecked by what she did at Blackwell, namely in the Vortex Club video which her parents, in private, still preached to her about. Her aunt was the worst at this, and despite the distance from her, it was still hard to shut it out – it was most likely that, not Nathan, Victoria or Mr Jefferson, that almost made her jump. Max was just driving along, quietly happy yet outwardly solemn "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Another vision came, and Max held on along enough to see Kate grab the wheel…

 _Kate stood in the Dark Room, back in Arcadia Bay under the Prescott Farm. She flicked through the various binders with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Chloe and Max watched from a distance, attempting to give her some of her own peace of mind. Then she got onto her own photo album, and sick feeling immediately turned to sadness. Looking at one particular photo, where she was tied down and laying on her side, doe-eyed expression of confusion, her hand and feet bound with duct tape, managed to bring tears out of her eyes, and in turn Chloe and Max. Looking at the pictures, she walked across the room, to the very familiar Officer Brody (who had assisted Berry in her case), who only gave a nod, walking away and to leave Kate to talk with a tied and bound Mark Jefferson, expression across his face of apathy and guilt, and Kate looked sickened with rage "I hate you" She said "I hate you with the hate that God laid down upon the Egyptians, and I hope you go straight through all the Circles of Hell" Before spat on his face and walked out, Chloe and Max following without even stopping to look._

"…AHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream stopped, and Max realised they were still driving.

"Those Caffeine withdrawals are getting really bad Max. Let's just get there and we'll sort you out" Kate said.

Tea Galleria was certainly a very outwardly friendly looking place; the best way to describe it could easily be that it was something like a 'Tea Bar', where most of the people in it were actually dressed closer to what Kate was wearing than Max. The two girls sat facing one another, seemingly content with the company they were keeping. Kate spoke first:

"I don't know if you heard…they just announced on the news that Blackwell was only partially ruined. Mostly the dorms took it the worse. Luckily, because of the End of the World party most people were OK"

"No I didn't. When did they announce that?"

"Radio, at about mid-afternoon. They read out a quick list of newly found…deceased. Daniel, Brooke, Juliet, Victoria all didn't make it"

Max stopped to think about that "I spoke to Victoria, while you were in the hospital; I blamed her for putting you on that roof, and she cried out to me about how sorry she was, about how she wanted to take it back"

"I appreciate. I'll talk with her tonight when I pray" She glanced down at the menu looking to make a selection "Tell me Max, why did you want to come out with just me tonight? What's the purpose of this tea session?"

Max looked up, surprised but not confused "I wanted to come out with you because you're my friend Kate…"

"Max, you were quiet at the house. I did love talking to Chloe – and by the way, I totally ship the pair of you -" She smiled at the awkward way she phrased that "- but it's clear to me that you wanted to tell me something away from her" No matter how direct Kate ever was, she always held that same caring expression.

Max sighed "You were always too smart for most of us Kate. The world's a far more caring and happy place with you in it, that's for certain. Look there's many things I have to tell you; mainly I know what happened to you at the Vortex Club last week"

Kate looked up "You got Nathan?"

"It…it wasn't Nathan…Nathan may have drugged you but he was working for someone higher up. Erm…" She pulled out her phone "Take a listen to this" And she played the voicemail message on her phone, with Nathan just pouring his soul out to Max about everything, including his involvement and regret with what happened to Rachel and herself. It named Mark Jefferson as the person chasing him, and then going after Max "I'm sorry Kate. David Madsen and the police raided his Dark Room, on the Prescott Farms, found the folders of loads and loads of girls, some of whom had been missing for months. Yours…yours was the worst. Chloe and I raided it after we visited you in the hospital, and the set-up was just sickeningly good; lovely equipment to only be used for that messed-up…stuff"

Kate looked in shock "Mr Jefferson? How? I helped him, I respected him, I stayed behind after lessons to get notes from him and help him set up classes for the following days teaching. I-I-I discussed a possible merging of clubs, I gave him deals on the Meals on Wheels program at school, I…I was so nice to him, like with everyone. Why…just why me?"

"Kate, it's not your fault. He's a very nasty man, but no-one knew. Wells didn't know, I didn't know, David didn't know. I know one thing and that is that none of this was ever your fault" Max put her hand out across the table to hold Kate's, which was returned by a simple, nice smile into Max's face "Well we're here to drink tea, let's make our orders"

"That's a plan Batman" Kate awkwardly replied, but her embarrassment was immediately corrected by Max's subtle laugh at her new use of 'lingo'. A waitress came over, and took the order, and the two immediately went back to talking.

"Kate…can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. I assume that wasn't the question"

"Oh no! Of course not; it's just there's something on my mind. I…I made a choice a while ago, and I feel I did the wrong thing…"

"Max, I know how you feel. Remember, I'd made a choice and I was going to stick with it, but I had someone there to tell me stop. I know, Max – I really do"

Max shifted uncomfortably, feeling this weird need to get her troubles off her chest "OK…" She begun nervously "…what's your view on God given gifts?"

"Well, the Biblical interpretations are about the gifts of the Spirit. Max, I wholly believe you have those…why?"

"Ohhhh…God help me" Max begun "I have…certain other types of gifts"

"You mean artistically? Max you do take great photos…"

"NO!" She accidentally snapped, nervously, before noticing that other people in the shop were looking at her "I mean…no. I mean gifts like something you'd see in a Sci-Fi movie?"

Kate looked confused "I don't know Max – this sounds very…conjured to me, and I don't like it. With the storm, and the Portland Pounder, and my suicide I don't think I could take much fantasy right now"

Max suddenly changed topic, as they notice the waitress coming back over with their tea, when suddenly she notices something…

 _The waitress comes to give her the tea, but the falls over, onto Kate's bare legs and she yelps in pain, and suddenly the place is in disarray._

"Look out!" Max when, as the tea splashed towards Kate, but due to her moving the tea just landed on the seat next to her – not a drop landing on her body. Max looked to Kate, who looked in apparent surprise, before the waitress became immediately apologetic and offered a free replacement of their orders. Kate looked at Max, as Max seemingly continued on like nothing happened "So…what about the Portland Pounder – sounds a weird name for him?"

"Well…ah…they suspect it's a man who's been drugging women in the Portland area and beating them, like a BDSM thing…sorry, how did you know what was about to happen with the tea?"

"Well, that's what I'm talking about Kate – when I say I have gifts that's what I mean"

"So, you can see the future?"

"I can now – I used to…" She could feel herself becoming exasperated "…it's hard to explain, but when we were on the side of the road after leaving the Bay I predicted a truck hitting us so I drove us out the way before it hit us. If I hadn't we would've been dead. After that I saw you answer the door to us, and then we drove down here to see you"

"Well…I…I glad you did, but…there's no other way you could've known about my being home – how you could've found out my address? No?"

"Kate, do you have a cousin called Lucy at all?"

"Lucy?! Yes, she's coming over to visit us tonight, her and my other cousin Paul – you'll like them both, especially Lucy. She's a sweetheart just like you"

Max suddenly felt a shift in the mood "I think you need to give her a call. Check she's OK. I have a feeling that…she's not OK"

The new tea tray came over and Kate took a sip from her cup, as she rang her phone under the desk, ringing Lucy to check on her like Max had told her. It went straight to answerphone. Kate started breathing noticeably heavier and hurried "Why do you think she's not OK?"

"I saw tomorrow's paper, when I was back at your house…these powers are weird to me – they're new to me – but these visions come painfully and sometimes suddenly. I could control the tea one, but not the truck, not visiting you and not seeing your cousin's name in the paper tomorrow morning saying she'd been killed by the Portland Pounder"

Kate looked bemused at her "Max…the Portland Pounder has never killed anyone he's taken. For the last year he's taken 20 girls, drugged them, bound them and hit them with whips and things. The girls are then untied, tossed into an unmarked van and then dumped back home with no actual sexual abuse done to them. The chance he could murder…"

"Kate, I only plan to tell you what I saw. But you haven't told me yet why they call him that"

Kate took another sip of tea, as did Max – so far this evening the only real time the two had drunk tea together "A newspaper made a mean joke about it; they said that he did BDSM but never actually…inserted. They started saying he 'pounded' the victims hard, and then the name stuck. That's why I went to Arcadia Bay; I wanted to avoid that horridness, but instead I found something else…" She started to shed a tear "So Max, I've told you that. I've rung Lucy, she's not picking up, you bought me a lovely rabbit – I know he's no Alice, but I'm sure I'll grow to love him just as much – but you haven't told me the whole truth"

Max checked her watch – it was getting late. She started doing her usual stuttering and mumbling when she found it hard to answer a question or a statement "Kate," She begun, "You remember when we were on the girl's dorms, and you told me you wish you could turn back time and stop everything at the Vortex Club? What if you could? I could. Last week I got these powers I can't explain, but I could stop time, turn it back and then change things. You remember Jefferson's lecture on the Daguerrian Process: I didn't know the answer so I wound back and corrected myself – I could never have answered that otherwise. You following me?"

"Max, where else are you going with this?"

"I'm getting to my point. So say, instead of simply using it to answer questions, or to remember things I may otherwise have forgotten, I started using it for bigger things. For instance, what if I saw my best friend Chloe get shot last week by Nathan, and I went back and set off the fire alarm to keep her alive? What if I saw my other favourite person jump off of the top of the girls dorms at Blackwell, and you turned back time so you could talk her down? Say you found out that Rachel Amber's disappearance had a greater purpose, and you used that power to find the truth, because you could?" She could see Kate showing an expression of complete and total belief, but also confusion "But say that what I did had greater consequences. What if those changes caused a snowstorm, then an eclipse, then a double moon, then finally an E6 tornado that could knock houses down like cards?" Kate's expression was still silent, but emotions were silently bubbling "And…" Max was trying to now do the hardest part of all of this, the confession "Say that the way to fix it, was for me to wind back to when Chloe should've died. But, because I love Chloe so much…I just couldn't do it. Say I rejected that chance, rejected the power and I let the storm happen?" Max bowed her head, drained of all her emotions, just able to sip tea. Then she looked up, and saw a heart breaking picture – Kate was sat there, lip quivering and tears streaming from her eyes, but she never sniffled or sobbed, she just quietly let the tears come out. She had no make-up to smear, but she did have a genuinely happy face that was now broken down to nothing. Max looked her solemnly in the face, she reached her hand across the table…

SLAP! Kate, in probably her first physical altercation ever, slapped Max right across the face, not enough to move her but enough to sting as the hand made contact with the face. All the patrons of the Tea Galleria turned around to see this small petite girl from the well-respected Preacher family crying as she'd slapped her friend right across the face, and then ran straight out. Max followed, throwing down $10: "Keep the change!" She yelled.

Kate kept walking and crying as Max ran after. She turned around the face her "I don't know if I can ever look at you again! You…you did all that?"

Max looked quizzical "You believe me?"

"Of course I believe you Max! I know you would never lie to me and I know you would never have got here without some sort of guidance. Coming right to my house without the address first? So yes I believe you – I believe that you would rather a storm destroy thousands of lives than you having to give up your friend. My God gave up his only son so humanity could live. But, I know you don't like to look at the religious part of it…" She was now starting to sob properly "…I had a life at Blackwell – I did have friends, not just you but others. I had so much up there that now is lost forever. The people, the coffee shops, my violin, the programs I co-ordinated, even Alice; it is all gone now! I know you lost things too, but…" She teared up, and continued walking off "I'm going to walk home!"

"Kate, it's an hours walk back to yours and there's some dangerous criminal out there; it's not safe!"

"Please Max, just let me go!"

Max watched painfully as she walked off into the distance, back to the house where she'd originally said that they should go out. Max felt her phone vibrate: Chloe. She picked up "Chloe…I might have fucked this right up the ass"

Max set off a lot later just to let Kate closer to him, but not so far that if she did try something she'd lose her. Max pulled up to the front of the house and just saw Suanne, a woman she'd yet spoken, but just looked angry. Her only word inside the car was "Fuck"

Suanne looked bitter "Listen Max, the only thing she told us about was your finding out of what happened to you at the Vortex Club. She just told us that then went upstairs crying her eyes out. Your blue-haired friend is up there with her now, and we are thankful that you told her and that you've restored for vitality for us all, but let me make one thing clear: make her cry like that again, and you'll wish you'd never come to Portland". She only allowed Max to make a simple affirmative nod, before being allowed passed and heading up the stairs.

Max knocked on Kate's door, and opened it to see Chloe sat on the bed, with Kate curled over in the foetal position on the bed, looking towards her with wet eyes.

"Hi Max" She said, weakly.

"Hi Kate" Max replied, nervously

Chloe got up and whispered to Max as she went past "You did the right thing when you told her, and it's good you did. She just needed some time to get over it" She kissed Max on the cheek "She's fine now, go talk to her" Then she left the room. Max took Chloe's place on the bed. Kate just stayed facing forward.

Max spoke first "For what it's worth, I never failed to save you. I always knew how to keep you safe"

"Thank you" She replied, still weepy "I'm sorry I hit you; I just didn't really know what to feel at that point. I've never hit anyone before, but I had all these feeling…"

"It's not a normal situation Kate; I might have reacted that way if given a bit of a chance. Please don't feel bad for that"

Kate smiled a bit, still with a small amount of sobbing "You're a good person Max. And your friend Chloe's a good friend too; not just for you but also for me. She didn't need to be kind to me this morning but she is kinder than many I've known in my life" Kate looked up to her "You know, I always wanted you and Warren together, but you and Chloe I can deal with as well"

"A classic power couple" Max joked.

"Oh like The Big Bang Theory"

"You watch that?"

"No, but I've heard of it. You two are like Sheldon and Amy – Shamy" She smiled "You two could be…Pricefield"

"I like that Kate: Pricefield it is!" Max stroked Kate's head "And you know, we both value you the same. How about, to include you, we make it…Marshpricefield?!"

"Sounds like something Warren would come up with" Kate smiled "Can I ask you Max, when you did make that choice, what went through your head? What did you think of – and I already know how hard you guys had to try to get there, but what about the actual thoughts going through your head?"

Max paused, contemplative and quiet, the emptiest her head had been since actually making the choice. She looked at Kate and explained "I thought that the truth that we had discovered would never be discovered again. I didn't know if the truth of what was happening at Blackwell was actually going to come out if me and Chloe didn't stick with it. I thought of everything I'd learnt about everyone and myself too would've been for nothing. It's selfish I know, and some nights I have the worst nightmares about the incident; I didn't think everyone would be dead, but I knew it could've happened, and I'm sorry Kate. I'm sorry for me, and everything I ever did" She paused, as Kate took the hand rested on her head and held it in her own hands "I was thinking, since we know there's survivors for sure, why don't we go visit the Bay when some more get found? We can drop off some gifts maybe?"

"Let's bake cookies!" Kate cheered "We can loads of types – chocolate chip, white chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter"

"I'd like that. Kate, you are love, you are life" Max said as Kate sat up straight and hugged her deeply. "Have you heard from Lucy yet?"

"Erm…" They were interrupted by the sound of loud cheers from the hallway, followed "Where's Lucy?" Suanne called, before another voice answered "I am not totally sure; we didn't travel together" The second voice was distinctly male with a slightly throaty quality to it, but had a very nervous, anxious tone to it like he was guilty or just shy. Kate and Max got up and walked to the noise.

At the bottom of the stairs stood a man, 6'4", big and muscular but with a soft, clean shaven face. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt that showed off every part of his musculature, and baggy loose jeans that were a worn washed out blue. At the bottom of the stairs stood the Marsh family and Chloe looking incredibly relaxed in spite of this monstrous presence. Kate saw this big man and went running down the stairs and hugged the big guy who uncomfortably returned it. He looked up the stairs to Max, who stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Max" Richard begun "This is my nephew, Paul. He works at the gym just on the other side of town" Max came down the stairs and put her hand forth to shake his hand "Nice to meet you" She began, but then came a vision…

 _The black room, the screaming man, the knife, the blood on the arms, the girl slumped over. Details were all still vague, except for one: the figure of the man was now clear for Max to see. And she saw this stranger, Paul Marsh, muscular and big, keeled over and weeping with blood on his sleeves. Max in this moment was panicked; she was stood in the presence of a likely murderer. And what about Lucy – she was still missing. It seemed too much of a coincidence that she's going to be found dead, and he's going to be stabbing someone; it seemed likely that Paul Marsh was the Portland Pounder the papers talked about._


	3. Flirting With Danger

**Life Is Not Normal**

 **Chapter Two: Flirting with Danger**

When she came back to the room, standing there in front of 6 people – one of whom she'd been given a bad omen about despite knowing him for 5 seconds – stares of confusion and worry were blazed across their faces. Suanne looked the most confused, and Kate and Chloe tying for worry. Paul was the one she'd only just met, and was the first to extend feelings of concern:

"Hey, you, you OK – sorry, so sorry I didn't get your name" said the muscle bound man with the voice that would make one think of that cartoon mouse with the weak voice. He walked towards her and put his arms on her shoulder, earning a weird look from Suanne.

"She has caffeine withdrawals" Suanne said sharply "Nothing special, right Max?" She then turned to Kate "I thought you two went for tea – didn't that fix anything?"

"Aunty Suanne," Paul begun "We all in this house know addiction isn't as easy as that…"

"You more than me" She snapped back.

That night, Max lay awake with that image in her head: Paul Marsh, cousin of her friend and the nephew of a Preacher is likely a sexual sadist. That, and he now was in close proximity to her at all points of the day from this point forward, and that was a scary thought. Suddenly, she felt the pleasant feel of Chloe's finger gently caressing the side of her face, slowly running up and down her soft skin until it became a hand that cupped the brunettes face, turning it and allowing them to make eye contact in a rush of feelings and emotions Max had felt many times before, but now they could act upon. In an instance, lips made full contact. Passion pulsating through Max's fingertips right down to her toes, as she tried to stay quiet but still let out to the occasional uncontrollable moan of delight. Chloe rolled over as she ended up on top of Max, her smile bright, pure and mutually felt. Hands upon Max's face, they slowly explored down through her hair and then underneath her t-shirt, with subtle breasts and tender frame sparking as her nails gently prying them out of her, and soon the hands were removing down her front, tweaking her hard nipples in a manner that would turn anyone on, moving right across her stomach, fingernails still tentatively tickling her, sending her senses into somersaults of ecstasy before finally reaching the place never before touched; Chloe, whether she mentioned it or not, had clearly done this before, and the skill with which rubbed the Clitoris was literally breath-taking. Max felt a greater level of passion and pleasure she'd never felt before – she so was so excited she couldn't even make a sound – and then pulled Chloe to her, kissing her harder than ever before pushing her head down towards her vagina as Chloe started to perform the same precise, pleasuring motion with her tongue as she had done in their kiss. Max, writing in pleasure, turned her head to the side and bit down on the pillow, muffling her impassioned pleading for more. One, two more licks and Max just came: like the floodgates had opened and it all fell onto the bedsheets. She looked down, a feeling of embarrassment turning to satisfaction when she saw Chloe looking up at her, smiling wickedly yet mischievously as she removed her own clothes. She shed off her clothes like a cocoon on a caterpillar to reveal a beautiful creature underneath. Max started to hyperventilate slightly – she'd wanted to be naked and intimate with another person for a while, but she wanted it most with Chloe, the blue haired wonder who'd turned her life upside-down and inside-out. Chloe's porcelain skin made the blue in her hair radiate brightly, like a mirage. The tattoos on her arm, and her stomach were dancing on the white skin, creating an illusion that guided Max's eyes down…down…down to what she wanted, and it edged nearer towards her own. Max finally smiled a smile of relief – not pleasure – as Chloe held her left leg over her own and they touched; both Max and Chloe groaned as they finally had 'done it'.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door: "Shit!" Chloe sprung off Max, who was still stuck in the moment. In the most overly innocent voice possible, Chloe responded "Yes?"

"It's Kate" the voice from behind the door said "I can't sleep. There are some things on my mind, and I really need to talk; can I come in please?"

"Erm…give us a second" Chloe said, as her and Max hurriedly threw on some underwear and some trousers before jumping back into bed. Kate came walking in, dressed in her normal cute pyjamas with her hair still tied up tight. She walked towards the bed and went to take a seat, but upon feeling the strange wetness on the sheets, she stood back up, giving a rather brief look of disapproval.

"What's up Kate?" Max started.

"Well…it's just all of this; the problems and the lack of any foreseeable solutions. I'm used to being able to try and say the right thing, or come up with the right action but I can't…"

"Right words for what?"

"Mum, Dad, Lynn and Alix. Lucy and Paul. There's complications with Paul and Lucy, and my Mum; she…she doesn't like them much"

"You're Mum doesn't like anyone…"

"Max!" Kate snapped "That's not nice – you've only known her for a day, and she's very protective; she has every right to be after the storm" She said, knowing full well what she did say about the video; the very, VERY bad things she'd said and not really apologised for – even after the truth came out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume" Max said, apologetically. She quickly changed topic to Paul "I've only known Paul for a short while…"

"…he's a strange case" Kate added "Four years ago, he went up to Texas to do bodybuilding and worked in-between as a ranch hand. Then only a year ago he got a job working in a gym in town and lived out a one bed flat nearby. He's always been a sweet, kind boy – it's just always been hard to predict him, or talk to him"

"I think he's hot" Chloe interjected. Max passed a quick look to her, mild annoyance but mostly good humour "Kate" She continued, seriously "It's not just the fact he's back in town is it? It's the fact Lucy not here with us that has you concerned"

"Lucy's not answering her phone. Max, you don't think its true right? Your vision that she's dead can't be right, can it?"

Max looked at her "I…it's strange; maybe the vision works where the cause has to happen but certain events can be different; that tea had to be spilled back at the Galleria, but you didn't get burned, or the truck had to swerve off the road but we didn't have to get hit. To be honest, I hate it right now"

Kate put a consoling hand on her shoulder "Your vision was that we all see the newspaper? What's there to prevent?"

"There might not be – you stop Lynn and Alyx from seeing it, but, like I said, I really don't know…just" Max started to sigh "This is hard for me too"

Kate squeezed her shoulder tighter "Max, Chloe, you are both the best things that could happen to me. YOU saved my life Max. And Chloe – YOU are saving Max's; I like to think that people get something for their choices" She stood up and walked to the door "Maybe I can do something for the pair of you – be your third wheel I guess?" She said, awkwardly. Max and Chloe nodded, but the nods stopped when she made her offer "I should probably change your sheets" as she motioned to the wet patches around Max "I know it's not Christian in any form, but I'm a lot more forgiving than my parents…"

"WHAT?!" Chloe replied, offended "Not Christian?"

"Non-reproductive, homosexual sex; it's something that we…I mean my parents don't believe in…"

"So what are you saying then? You gonna insult me, and Max, after all we've done…"

"No, but I'm asking you to please – PLEASE – respect this house while you're living in it. And Max did make a bit of a mess of the sheets so I'm offering to help you"

"Well, you're not helping, you're prying and judging and making me feel…guilty. You don't understand what it's like to love someone like this; you just judge at the side lines like some damned ref…"

Max turned to Chloe "Chloe, please…"

"What? I'd bother to explain…" Chloe retorted, before being quickly interrupted by Kate. She looked tearful, but not weak at all.

"I do get it" She said "You think because of the way I am and this way of life that I hadn't been looking for romance, for eternal companionship?" She stared back at Chloe.

"Well I'm sure whoever it was the best; it was someone who'd never leave you…"

"Like Max, right?" Kate asked "Just like the boy I've been trying to hear from since the storm"

Max sat up, oblivious to the fact that she was only in a bra from the waist up "Kate, we didn't mean to hurt you…it's just…this is weird for all three of us; this, right here, is the first time I've experienced any intimacy, Chloe's different and I don't know about you. To be honest, I never did, and I'm sorry"

"Of course I didn't tell you – the only people who knew were me and Luke Parker; he wasn't comfortable with being part of gossip" Max looked at Kate, stunned "Yep, that's correct. One and a half months before you even came to Blackwell, Luke and I were meeting up, doing classwork, working out plans for ourselves at Blackwell that meant we never had to attend a Vortex Club party, and then going behind the dorms just to kiss for…" She trailed off "After the Vortex Club party, he kept away; left me on my own. Not because he wanted to but because he couldn't do anything to help; I didn't want more eyes on me than there already were and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He came by the hospital to drop off those nice balloons, we kept our distance there too, he left and that was the last time I saw him"

Chloe looked up at Kate "Rachel Amber…our last days together were…really special too; I remember it well"

"It's OK. Now, Chloe and Max, can you please let me take your sheets so I can wash them quickly and give them back? It's nothing; this whole situation is making it really hard to sleep"

Chloe pulled the duvet away. Without taking her eyes from Kate, she stood in her underwear and stripped the bed down before handing the sheets to her "Rachel is better where she is now. I hope that your friends, and Luke, are where they are best off; whether they are alive or somewhere else"

"I just hope I can see them again" She smiled again, before turning and leaving "It'll be about 20 minutes" she added, before finally closing the door.

Chloe looked back at the bare bed, where her and Max had finally 'done it'. She walked towards the shorter brunette and put her hands around her shoulders and holding her close and tightly from behind "Look positive" She begun "It's still counts" She could feel Max chuckling in her arms "Was it how you imagined?"

"I never really thought about it"

"No fucking way Max – really? You never thought about fucking, like…EVER before?"

"Well, there have never been any girls in Seattle I fancied – the same with boys"

"I know, boys are dicks. Your friend Warren was cool, but mostly, boys suck. Girls are the shit, boys are just hella shit"

"You've had boys!" Max laughed, turning to face Chloe, cupping her shoulders as she'd cupped hers "At least one of them must have been decent"

"Nah, I had the phase of toyboys…"

"Why toyboys?"

"First timers – all of them. You know what they say; never forget your first. Max, I was young, crazy and experimental, and girls were more fun. This one particular girl was really, REALLY special…"

Max leaned in and kissed her "And who might she be?"

"Well, she's this awkward little brunette, about 5'5", has a generic t-shirt and jeans fashion sense but she's cool because she doesn't care about it. Also, she's a girl who squirted on her first time. That, you see, is a keeper"

"Really?" She begun, kissing harder before suddenly stopping; worried that Kate might interrupt again. Chloe looked at her right in the eyes, seeming to understand, sat down on the bed, just holding her and not saying much. Max continued "Kate's right – we are in her house"

"Please Max, don't lecture me in respect; I've been an unruly bitch for years, I know exactly how to be that, so I know how to be the opposite"

"I'm not lecturing you, I'm requesting you; we can't continue to sleep out the back of that truck. We don't have enough money to survive on our own, and I'm just trying to be intelligent here. I've got a month worth of weddings to shoot, you've got the cars, we got a place rent free to stay, we've got it good here"

"You are totally right, which is why I'm not gonna fuck this"

"Right back at cha Thelma. That's right; you're Thelma, and I'll be Louise"

"Well aren't you decisive one? Frank would never have imagined that!" Chloe responded, her voice slightly tainted by conflicted opinions of Frank, about his relationship with Rachel Amber, about him trying to make something more of his life, about his much bigger heart than he let on, and about the debt he'll never see repaid, but also about the help he did offer in helping find the truth. She quickly shook her head "But yes, we've got things to do"

"There is one thing I do want to do while I'm here, but we can wait for it"

"What that Super-Max?"

Max looked up at her, a look of determination that was last on her face when she faced up to Jefferson in his Dark Room, a look more familiar of Chloe than Max, and she simply said "The Portland Pounder: I want to get him"

"Oh Max! We've already solved one mystery together, you can't just ask for a second one…really?" She quizzed "You really are a superhero aren't you? Max you can't…"

"I can't alone, but you, me and Kate can. I know Kate will want it too, and we can all get it…"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, but it wasn't Kate who'd opened it; Kate was with Suanne and Richard, both of whom looked annoyed, and Kate looked as if she'd just been on the receiving end of a shouting tirade. In their hands they held the partially washed bedsheets. Suanne started "What is this?"

"Those are bedsheets" Chloe obviously stated.

"I know that! I mean why is my daughter washing these at gone 2:30 in the morning? And why do they smell?" She turned to Kate "You've always been too forgiving – too nice. In Genesis 21:23: "Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you." Kindness shown to YOU Kate, not the other way around!"

"They have been kind to me…"

"Is that why you're using water and power at this time? And tell me girls: why is my daughter doing this for you, and why to these sheets smell like…"

"Water?" Chloe asked hopefully.

"Water doesn't smell" Richard interjected "Please girls, tell us the truth"

Max looked at Kate, knowing that she'd asked that for them to not to do what they'd done, but that they'd get her in more trouble if they shared the truth, so she lied "It's…pee. I accidentally wet the bed, and Kate came down, and offered to clean the sheets. It was so embarrassing; please, I'm sorry, don't be mad"

Suanne looked suspicious still, but Richard kept a happier outlook on her face. Suanne quizzed further "So Kate came down, you were talking and you wet the bed whilst you were talking to her; is there something more than those 'caffeine withdrawals' you wish to tell us about Max?"

"Dear, please" Richard's kind voice interceded "Max, it's nothing to be embarrassed about – it could happen to anyone. Chloe, Max, you are welcome guests here; we're not going to kick you out because of a simple bedwetting. But shouldn't have asked Kate to help you out"

"We didn't: she offered"

"Kate offers many things, and I love her for it. But we'd rather she'd be more…selective over what she offered. But, thanks for what you both are doing. Max, just a heads up; we have back-to-back weddings all tomorrow so I'll need you at the church for 9 sharp, and the gear should already be set up by then. I know most of your equipment was back at Arcadia, but I'm sure what we've got will be good right?" He noticed as Max nodded "Chloe, Kate: I'll need you two to stay behind and help out Lucy when she arrives, whenever that'll be, with her stuff. Paul has work so he can't stay behind to help unpack, but you can? Is that OK?"

Kate and Chloe looked at one another, with a look of unease, due entirely to the possibility that the newspaper would come in the morning: the headlines breaking hearts, but also the possibility that it might not even happen. They simply gave a slight nod of the head.

"OK" Richard continued "Max, I'll go grab some new sheets for you, then you and Chloe can sleep in peace. OK?" Richard then left the room, but Suanne seemed to stay even after Richard had left. She held the sheets in her hands, and specifically stared down Max:

"I'm not stupid, understand?" She snarled "You and your blue haired friend better understand one thing: I am not as accepting of what you do as my husband or my daughter. You are both disgusting, and under this roof you as much as kiss, I'll throw you out myself" She turned to Kate "You want to be friends with these people, fine; Jesus spent much of this time with criminals. Do you get yourself involved in this behaviour?" Kate shook her head, before returning an understanding, reassuring look to Max "Well good. Listen, I know this whole week has been tough on you but this is not on either; we missed that storm by only a few hours after we brought Kate home, and we know how bad things were there. I can only begin to imagine what you two both lost. But understand this: I'm as stern as I am understanding" She turned to leave, only turning back to talk directly to Max "I'm watching you Max. Be aware of that. And if I were you, I'd put a t-shirt on when you sleep" before closing the door and leaving.

"OK, you got to want to take back anything you just said in her defence just now, surely?" Chloe said to Kate.

"I won't. I never will, because I can't just stop loving her" Kate said "I don't regret anything because at this point I can't: not washing your…wet sheets, not going to the Vortex Club, I don't regret anything" before she too turned and left the room, leaving Max and Chloe until morning.

6:30 in the morning and Max arose, in a more appropriate style than she had earlier in the night. Sliding out of bed, being very careful not to disturb her sleeping partner. Only a few thoughts ran through her head; the insane amount of pleasure she felt when Chloe went down on her, and the worry of what would happen if they ever did it again. Is this what a life between them would be like? In the real world, would it just be an enlarged version of living in the Marsh house? And what about Chloe; Max knew that she clearly was bisexual, what if she got bored of that judgement and left for another woman, maybe even a man, and Max (identifiably gay Max) would be all alone. She would be a murmur in a crowd of voices who no-one would ever notice again in their lives. It really was a train of thought going horribly awry.

Suddenly, she heard loud and heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs, and throwing on her t-shirt she ran outside to the hall to investigate. At the door, she saw Paul Marsh, big and broad, wearing a black tracksuit with a hoodie and black trainers – he was all black except for his hazel eyes.

"Paul isn't it?" She asked.

"Erm…erm…yes" He stammered; it was always kind of contradictory to see this big, muscular guy with such a nervous, anxious voice "You're Max, sorry if I got that wrong"

"Yes, that's me"

"You're the one with those weird caffeine withdrawal symptoms. T-t-that sounds like a real rough hand you've been dealt"

"Never heard that phrase before" Max said, thinking of the awkward use of slang and delivery that Warren – god bless him – would use. It did make her smile somewhat "Where are you going?"

"Work" He quickly snapped, unintentionally it sounded like.

"It's 6:30 in the morning; hardly anyone's up, never mind heading to work"

"You're up; guess we're pretty similar in that regard"

"Somehow I doubt that" Max responded with an ambiguous amount of distain; in her head she was a murderer but the man she was talking to was an actual murderer, and the only doubt in her mind was that she couldn't decide who was worse out of him and her "For instance…" She thought of what to ask him – be direct or be subtle or be joking around? Subtle: "We've only just met, maybe judgements should just be ignored?"

"You met Suanne?" He asked "Now talk to me about judging people with a first meeting" He smiled: his teeth were oddly imperfect, slightly yellow and crooked, which again contradicted his overly healthy and powerful physique "Listen: I work at Olympus just away from the town centre. While we open at 9:00, I need to train when I get there and that takes a while, then I gotta shower, then I've gotta clock myself in…"

"I don't really find exercise enjoyable" Max said "But I just find it weird that you're leaving, now, before everyone else is up, while we're still waiting for news on Lucy. It is weird that you two didn't arrive together, and now that you're distancing from us, right?"

"What are you saying?" He asked, harshly "You suspect me of something? I don't even know you!"

"Calm down Paul…I'm just trying to understand you and Lucy. I want to be good, and I want to feel welcome in this house. They still look down on me even after what I did for Kate, and I don't know what you're like or they are but it doesn't mean I don't care"

"What you did for K-K-Kate? Wait…you the girl stopped her from jumping at Blackwell?"

Max looked quizzical "Did Richard or Suanne not mention me?"

"T-They said Kate tried to jump because of some video, but that some student stopped her; not her name or age or what she did – occupationally" He noticed Max look somewhat hurt by this, and he walked towards her to place a consoling hand on her shoulder but he snapped it back, as Max quickly withdrew from the display of comfort. He was immediately stuttering again "S-s-s-sorry. Suanne: she's not nice and doesn't like to think about the bad things; it's kind of like denial. I know, and I'll thank you for Kate. That's if they won't at least"

Max looked up at the man she was starting to get mixed feelings about. All she could think to do was to smile, with small pearl shaped tears running from her eyes. She could see Paul wanted to respond with a small gesture but she could see him refrain and subdue it. It seemed to her that he was in more pain to refrain from comforting her than he was for his own issues. She just stared at him, the same expression present in her face. Not wishing to continue, he suddenly opened the door and ran forward outside, slipping on the delivered paper on the floor. Max felt weird – he didn't even look at the paper, and even if you were in a rush (which you clearly weren't as you stayed behind to talk for nearly quarter-an-hour) you'd at least check the paper. Max therefore went forward and picked the newspaper and the rest of the mail up off the floor, and indeed she saw it: right on the front page, reporting of the brutal murder of Lucy Marsh as suspected to be perpetrated by the Portland Pounder. Max then watched as Paul ran off into the distance, looking around nervously and twitchy: in other words, guilty, and immediately any warm feels Max may have about him turned ice cold.

"Morning Max" Kate said, the soft soothing sounds of her voice matching with the gentle tip-tap of her descending the stairs. She looked relatively relaxed, as if the sleep had washed her of every stress known to man, whereas Max looked like death had grabbed her. All of that, however, quickly changed when Kate saw that Max was holding the newspaper bearing the bad news for the entire town to see. Slowly, she walked towards Max, holding out her hands to take the newspaper "Please can I see that?" She asked.

"Kate, I'm sorry…" Max said.

"I know you are; just let me read it please" She calmly repeated, looking at the paper changing hands from Max's to hers. She looked at it, in a state of near-shock "Max…I know you told me. It just doesn't make it any less sad" She looked at the picture of Lucy that they'd displayed big and proud on the front of the girl in perfect form. The writing told of exactly what had been seen in Max's vision: almost 20 bone fractures, multiple deep bruising and internal bleeding as a result of severe beating. Looking up at Max, she looked as though she was about to pass out from holding back the tears – this, for Kate, was an immense deal in expressing her feelings "Max, thank you for telling me when you did. You did the right thing"

"Kate, I'm sorry this has happened" Max approached Kate, cautiously, as she held on to the paper like a lifeline, trying to put her arms around her in a consoling way, to which Kate immediately relented, and they hugged strong and tight "I promise that whatever happens, Chloe and I will be right by your side"

"Like before?"

"Exactly like before: even better, if the Police don't get this person, I promise we will" She said with the sternness of an emperor addressing the people; this was an action that turned Kate from emotional to confused to worried – get who, get how, and why get him (even though that last one was obvious). Max held her, looking up the stairs to see the two youngest Marsh's Lynn and Alyx coming down the stairs "Kate, your sisters…" she begun.

"What's wrong Kate?" Lynn asked, looking at her and Max in an embrace "Why you being sad? Was it Mummy?"

"Lynn, please go to the living room" She saw Alyx coming down the stairs "You too Alyx – this is serious" she said, as the two young girls did as she said without question.

Chloe then came to the hall, dressed in a white and blue colour pattern "Morning ladies!" Her loud, confident voice rang out – quickly silenced by the newspaper front cover "Oh no" She uttered "Kate…" She too reached out to Kate, just as Kate turned her face, tearless but melancholic, to face her.

"Is this what it's like?" She asked "To see something happen for certain, and not be able to do anything about it?"

"This is a first" Max responded, bitterly.

"Where's Paul?" Kate asked, concerned "I've got to let him know…"

"He left for work 5 minutes ago" Max said "And besides, something tells me that he already knows" She said, ominously "We have to keep this from Lynn and Alyx: we can't break something like this to them right now, they need time…"

"Break what?" Richard came down the stairs bounding with energy "Max, we've got another few hours until the wedding, but you got to be there early to set up. I don't mean to rush, but…" He noticed the pair of newer girls comforting his daughter, and immediately was fatherly and concerned "What's happened?" He asked.

"Dad: it's bad" Kate said, handing him the paper "I'm going to talk to Lynn and Alyx" She said, as she watched him take the paper. The old, kind preacher managed to look at the front page for a full 30 seconds before he broke down sobbing to the ground. Kate stayed with him for the briefest time, until the crying became too loud and she had to go and see her sisters, just as Suanne came running down the stairs at a pace that had never been conceived before. She didn't speak, she just looked at her husband, then to the paper, then back to him and hugged him in her own sadness. Max looked at the paper, stuck in her own horrified thoughts: how could someone on the surface as sweet as Paul Marsh do that to his own sister? Of course it all depended on whether it was actually Paul, and not just her thinking it was – just like poor Nathan.

Olympus was a huge, grand gym that did indeed look like the home for the Greek gods. Chloe and her companion Max pulled up outside it, Chloe double-parked in the way that she always used to do, and jumped out, dressed in (finally) a new set of clothes: black jeans, and a denim jacket that was given to her by Suanne – it had grown too large for her so she passed it on to Chloe for the day while her leather one was washed. Max had a new jacket too; one of Kate's white blazer style jackets that went surprisingly alright with her 't-shirt and jeans combo' as had been said. Chloe looked at the exterior of the gym with somewhat giddy excitement, as she stood with her arms in her back pocket, and her boot-clad feet tapping on the ground.

"We've got to be quick" Max said "Find Paul, tell him the bad news, and then off to the church"

"What, you a busy body so now you've got to be on time for every single thing?"

"No, it's just I've got a schedule…"

"Well I can confirm it; you are a rabbit Max – the one from Alice in Wonderland"

"Never thought that was your kind of book!" Max smiled at her lover, and former friend – hopefully they would never go back to just being friends after that.

"Max – it's a book written on a drug trip. That is absolutely my kind of book; if only I saw that kind of stuff when I get high" Chloe laughed, as they started to walk "I haven't been to a gym in months – I miss the big arms and huge chests"

"Yes, but what about the women?" Max asked flirty.

"That was the women" She responded equally as flirty.

They were inside the big building, with the banging and clanging of weights reverberating all around, exaggerated further by the determined grunts of the many burly men lifting the combined bodyweights of Max and Chloe over their heads. The place looked like the gym equivalent of a dive bar: the bare essentials, lots of noise and a décor that was clearly for more practicality than actual enjoyment. Chloe, confident and cocky, approached the receptionist, a comparatively lean man with jet black hair and tribal tattoos running up his arms that cut off abruptly at his wrists like sleeves – a look that slightly scared Max, but Chloe was totally at ease with.

"S'up man!" She opened, with the confidence and charisma of a showman "We're looking for Paul Marsh – he works here right?"

"Yeah" The jet haired man began "He's just doing his own training for a competition right now, but he should be free in about 20 minutes. You got a PT with him?"

"PT?" Max asked.

"Personal Training babe" He answered back "And I take it then that you ain't here for that then?"

"No, and please don't call me 'babe', OK"

"Sorry" The jet black haired man clapped his hands together "It's just a force of habit with me"

"We need to talk to Paul about his sister"

"Lucy?" The man snapped up "Where is she – she was meant to call me last night but never got it" He sounded urgent "Sorry, how to you know her?"

"We don't…not really. We're staying with her Aunt and Uncle…"

"Oh, Preacher Marsh; he's a cool guy – he sometimes pops around the Youth projects I run down by edge of town. Wife, I see her a lot too…she's a pretty cold fish. Sorry, I'm Jeff" He stood up, putting forth his right hand to Max "I work here, but I also run the Youth projects for kids in trouble with the law, trying to get work, all that stuff"

"Yes, I read your name badge" Max said, shyly, as she limply took his hand.

"Sweet lord Jesus you are a deer aren't you" Jeff joked to her.

Chloe stepped forward "Look, we're in a rush" She started "So please Jeff, whatever your name is…"

"Jeff Morten, thank you very much, and I have a job to do. I can't just let anyone come in without paying"

Chloe slammed her hand on the desk in front of Jeff, leaning over, her blue eyes crackling with fire "We're here to tell a man that his sister is dead, so now you're going to let us through!"

"Wait…wait?" Jeff looked shocked "Who's sister? Who's dead?"

"Lucy is" Max said "It's all over the front pages of the papers…" She trailed off as Jeff reached over, tears filling his eyes, to the gym's intercom.

"Excuse me" He said, with his broken voice "This is a staff announcement, can Paul please come to the desk please…" He hung up; just as he broke into a complete flood of tears. He looked up, Max looking worried for him, and Chloe looking intrigued "Didn't you know? Lucy and I have been going out for the last 5 years…" He trailed off again, pushing his head down into the desk, as Max and Chloe looked on, feeling just as bad themselves.

Paul completed his last rep, pushing out an insanely heavy curl before crashing the weights back down to the floor. Max and Chloe came up the stairs, calling out his name, trying to find him among the catalogue of men who looked so similar to him, before finally seeing him, just standing solitarily and drinking protein. He looked up, and instantly turned back from alpha male to a quiet stuttering boy.

"Erm…hi there, sorry I ran off this morning Max…"

"Lucy's dead" Max just cut straight to the meat of the subject.

"What? How did you know…"

"It's in the papers: the Portland Pounder supposedly did it" Max said, oblivious to the fact that now the entire gym was listening in "Portland Pounder?" A random voice called out "Murder?" Another came out "Since when?

"Does anyone here actually read the papers?" Chloe asked, stunned.

"We came by to tell you Paul" Max said "Your phone was off, and we had no way to contact you. Kate and the others are in tears, you do what you will. Now we'll be off"

Max marched out of the gym and back towards the truck. Chloe followed.

"Wow, Maximus Decius Merdius!" She started "Since when did you take the direct approach?"

"Since right then" Max responded "I'm on a deadline"

"I know, but you've never been like this before. I'm not complaining – like, not at all – but it's a bit direct for someone who's just been told that his sister is dead"

Max opened her mouth, then, suddenly, she fell to the floor, screaming in pain: another vision…

 _The newspaper was stated was a month from the current date – it was now the 15th of November 2013. In the newspaper, big and loud, it had David Madsen across the front page, hugging Chloe as she came running to him. The front cover reported that despite losing his wife, Joyce, the former soldier co-ordinated a search and rescue operation in Arcadia Bay that managed to recover over 100 residents thought to be dead in the storm – now named Hurricane Morpheus. Furthermore, he was being honoured for his work in bringing Mark Jefferson to justice, and setting the police on a path that has led to the conviction of Mark Jefferson for at least 4 murders and multiple counts of kidnap, coercion and blackmail, with the latter referring to his treatment of Ray Wells and also the Prescotts. Moving to Page 2, the murder of Lucy Marsh had revealed a new twist in the story: the night of Lucy's murder, there were reports that she'd been involved in sexual intercourse with at least 3 people in one night and that an investigation had begun to try and track down each of the 3 involved._

"Max! Max!" Chloe yelled, holding her in her hands, keeled over on the ground. Chloe's worry for her never deteriorated, no matter how many times this would occur. She kept holding Max as she tried to steady herself "You and me, we need to figure this shit out! No-one else can. Cancel the work…"

Her plan was cut short by Max grabbing her, and looking at her right into the eyes, moving her hands up from her shoulders to Chloe's face, before going straight in and delivering a quick kiss to her lips "Chloe…I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"Hey!" Paul had run out of the gym and found them on the ground, a perplexed look on his face "You gotta explain some things to me" He sounded somewhat more articulate this time "You say that you guys are friends with Kate, yet she never mentions you. Caffeine withdrawals make no sense: fuck me, is that even a thing? You come into my workplace and tell me, and the town, that the Portland Pounder has…has…started killing, and that my sister is dead" The words for clearly angry, but something about his tone lacked the intent of an angry person, but instead a helpless guy "You had no right to do that…"

"We did" Chloe said.

"OK" He responded. He looked down, playing with his hands. Suddenly, in the most abrupt fashion possible, he suddenly said "Say, you wanna go out this evening?"

Chloe looked up, surprised yet slightly smiling "Me?"

"Sorry, no, I meant you, Max"

Chloe turned around, shocked, and looked at the equally shocked Max. She was clearly speechless about this – but more as a result of Paul's bluntness rather than his choice in attraction.

"Yes" Max immediately confirmed. She looked at Chloe, whose look wasn't confused anymore – it was downright offended by such a remark.

"Erm…OK" Paul said, fumbling around with his hands "I guess we'll go to this cool bar I know. Sorry, I just didn't expect…"

"Paul, I've got work all day, but that gives you time to think it through" Max confirmed. She watched as Paul went nervously running back into the gym. Max had on her face a look of steely nerve, quickly shattered when she turned back and saw Chloe marching like a stroppy child to the truck, jump in and slam the door. Quickly coming running, Max jumped in too, quickly putting her hand on Chloe's shoulder, but to Chloe the touch was as rough as the denim she wore.

"No, please, it's fine. You like boys now, I get it"

"Please don't say that"

"Then what is it? A vision? Is it a vision of you in the future with kids and a quiet house by the sea? Don't worry – I understand. Word of advice, houses by the sea don't do well in the event of a Hurricane"

"Please don't say that!" Max pleaded, teared up by the harsh language and bitterness that Chloe was giving to her "I love you. I really do…"

"Then what the fuck are you doing?!" She shouted "All I have left are you and this truck, but I guess this truck will do. Go enjoy yourself tonight Max"

"Chloe, fucking listen!" Max snapped back, much to Chloe's surprise "What I'm doing is like an investigation – I think that Paul has a secret – a big, bad secret – and I want to find it"

"That's not a good excuse"

"Chloe, I love you, and only you…"

"Max. It's fine, you got work, and I got things to do too. Enjoy your date tonight. Conversation over" Chloe kept her eyes straight on the road, not looking away, not acknowledging anything other than the direction they were heading in "You had one job Max – to be there for me…" Was the last thing she said on their journey to the church.

They arrived at the church. The pair were just in time, but Max still had to tell Chloe something. She wasn't sure what to tell her though: her Mum was dead, or about what she's trying to accomplish with Paul. She'd decided: Paul.

"I had a vision, back at the Marsh's: it was of Paul stabbing some girl. The room was blank, all the details were unclear, but I saw him with blood on his arms, driving a knife into a girl. I think he might be the Portland Pounder, and I want to find out"

Chloe turned to her, her face not angry anymore, but instead consisting of a wider range of emotions – fear, frustration, loneliness, annoyance – as Max could only look on. She turned away one last time, jumping out the car, and walking towards her work.

Evening came, and Max sat in the bar where she would meet up with Paul. She'd only had a little bit of time to get ready and get changed, but in an unfortunate turn of events, she'd only ended up wearing almost the exact style of clothes as she always had: she'd only have to hope that Paul wasn't going to care about that part too much. She obviously had no intention of sleeping with him, but you've got to bait the trap well for it to work: if only she'd looked more attractive. Chloe still wasn't talking to her, Kate had been otherwise engaged with caring for her sisters, and Richard had to struggle through a full day of weddings despite what was going on. She sat, still and mournful, looking at her Coke and Vodka that was only a little bit gone. So many thoughts ran through her brain, all coming under one umbrella – Hurricane Morpheus, and the damage which it had wrecked. They did hear one fact in the papers – it was now thousands dead, on a scale with Katrina – and so many businesses gone. That one vision she'll never be able to swipe was the Two Whales Diner, with the 'N' and 'R' ripped away, leaving the foreboding 'DIE' written above the place. Visions to the future were no good at all – it didn't provide an ability to help, it just provided a futile understanding that she could change nothing, that cars had to crash, tea had to be spilt, and that Paul has to stab someone…speaking of which…

"Hi" He said, shyly, "I see you ordered" Max looked him up and down – dressed completely in black, from his shirt to his jeans to his shoes, his hair curled like some bizarre sheep. His eyes were hazel and the only colour anyone ever saw on him "You look…pretty" His awkwardness still kept up even in a setting which could have no baggage.

"Thanks" Was Max's simple reply "Did you want to go make an order? Get some food?"

"No thanks, I'm in training. The only thing I want is to spend an evening in your company"

"That's…sweet, I guess" Max said with a cautious air about her.

"I'm trying my best, Max. I've just met you, and something makes me feel, I don't know, connected in some way. Like we're kindred spirits or something…"

"Maybe, maybe not"

Silence filled the air. Paul then leaned in, with a slight enthusiasm on his face; the kind that Max hadn't yet seen. "Have you seen a movie called The Master? It was released last year, g-g-good film. It has this scene in it where Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are asking questions – Hoffman calls it Processing – and they reveal things about themselves, it totally cool. You can start with me, then…"

"You know, you remind me of someone I knew – back at the Bay. He had a weird taste in films too" Max smiled at the thought of him.

"How is he?"

"No idea"

"Well, at least you survived" He attempted to comfort "OK, so the way it works is you ask me questions and I try not to blink as I answer them as quickly as possible…"

"I've seen the film. Philip Seymour Hoffman is, like, my absolute favourite"

"OK. Then ask me questions"

Max's mind began to race – what things can she ask…

"OK" She started "Why did you move to Texas?"

"Became a ranch hand, simply so I could train on the job"

"Can you define that?"

"Farmers Walks are one of the best exercises you can do for practical strength"

"What's the heaviest you've carried?"

"A 140lb sack under one arm"

"That's impressive" Max said, knowing that the typical person the Pounder had taken weighed that exact weight "New set of questions" She continued "Why do you always wear long sleeves whatever the weather or the occasion"

"They're comfortable"

"Why do you wear them?"

"I have scars; I don't like people seeing them, makes me feel sick"

"Can I see them?"

"No"

"Has anyone seen them?"

"…" He kept quiet.

"Has anyone seen the scars on your arms?"

"Never"

"What do you think of Jeff?"

"Jeff's a good man"

"You train with him?"

"I'm a power lifter, he's a boxer – we work into each other's workouts, make the other more rounded"

"He was dating Lucy"

"Yes"

"How'd they meet?"

"Lucy worked as a financial auditor, she was so smart; so much smarter and stronger than I am. 5 years ago Jeff just bumped into her at a club after he'd won a competition, she liked him, he liked her and it spiralled"

"Did you approve of the relationship?"

"...no, I didn't. I was jealous that my sister had found love and I was alone in Texas"

"Did you approve of Jeff?"

"Yes, he was a top athlete and he was great to train with"

"Why were you on your own in Texas?"

"I had needs I was unable to fulfil"

"Is that why you came home?"

"Yes"

Max smiled – he came home at the same time as the attacks began. Inspector Max was solving this case, and all without destroying another town in the process…oh Jesus the town…

"Why do you lift? Competitively, I mean" Max continued

"Easy work"

"Define easy"

"Man's been doing it as long as he's existed"

"But you do it well"

"I gotta do something well"

"Do you take drugs?"

"No"

"Why?"

"There's no easy way to avoid getting caught for it. Needles leave track marks and pills stay in your system too long"

Max leaned back, happy with what she'd gleamed from him.

"OK, now it's your turn"

Her heart dropped: shit! She's now got to play along, where's Chloe when you need her?

"What's your full name?"

"M-M-Maxine June Caulfield"

"Why a unisex name?"

"Because my dad liked it, and he always wanted me to be a tomboy"

"Would you say you are a tomboy?"

"No. I'm too shy, don't like sports, don't wear make-up. And I'm fine with that"

"How are your parents?"

"Still married, living in Seattle; they moved there 5 years ago"

"Why did you go back to Arcadia Bay?"

"For a…teacher…he was a great photographer and I wanted to learn from him"

"Was he a good teacher?"

"He…he…" Max started to shake, trying to cry "He was a horrible teacher!"

"Why was he horrible?"

"He did things – bad things – to us"

"Us?"

"Kate, me, Rachel, Kelly…so many of them!" She felt a hand shoot out and grabs hers – it was Paul, holding her hand securely.

"Have you spoken to anyone back in Seattle?"

"My parents"

"When was your last time speaking to them?"

"Wednesday last week"

"So before the storm?"

"Yes, before the storm"

"Why haven't you contacted them since the storm?"

"Shame"

"Why shame?"

"…I survived and others didn't"

"Do you feel guilty?"

"Yes"

"Who else in Seattle do you care about?"

"Kristen and Fernando – my drinking buddies back in Seattle"

"Have they contacted you since the storm?"

"No-one has"

"Why?"

"My phone was broken during the storm and don't remember the numbers"

Paul shifted in his seat "Are you a virgin?"

"Are you a virgin?" Max repeated back to him, offended.

"Yes. Are you a virgin?"

"No"

"Since when?" Paul asked, shocked

"A while ago…" She lied.

"Since when?"

"Last night"

"…with Chloe, right?"

"Yes. I love her, I love her more than anything, and we've both lost more than anything but I'm sticking with her no matter what"

"If you love Chloe, why did you come out with me tonight?"

"To know you better – I want to make an effort to know you better"

"Why did you come to Portland?"

"Why did you come to Portland?" She, increasingly anxious, asked.

"Because I needed to do things"

"Same"

"Why are you still here?"

"Because we were offered a place to stay?"

"That's a lie: why are you still in Portland?"

"A mystery" She accidentally quipped, and she noticed his face – it shifted from annoyed to smiling, whether it was a good smile or an evil one was very hard to see without it being tainted by some sort of judgement of what she thought about him.

"Did Kate tell you about my parents – about Richard's brother?"

"No, but Kate did tell me that you and Lucy were sweethearts – her words there"

"Kate is too kind…my Dad was nice, but my Mum wasn't; Dad was an athlete, like me, except he was a Tennis player whereas I'm a strength trainer, and Mum was motivational speaker. She was not nice; things that you don't wish to hear. The point is no-one would expect messed up things to come from a messed up place, but they do. I hope that this mystery you're investigating helps you see things better"

"And I hope that you didn't invite me out for any strange reason at all"

"Well…I did hope you weren't seeing anyone…"

"You were probably also hoping that I was straight" Max joked.

Paul looked at her, and he broke a smile – it wasn't a mean smile, in any way. It was a big, happy, pleasant smile, which soon broke into a laugh that can be best described as 'warm'. Max then did too; the only other person who made her laugh outside of Chloe.

"Max" He said "You're a good person; you do things that you don't want, you make time for people, and you're interesting too. I want you to know that you are important"

"Thanks. And I hope I get to see a bit more of you in the future" Max winked "Look, you sure you don't want a drink?"

"You know what? I think I'll go buy some shots. I'll be a second don't worry"

"Shots? Really?"

"Better for when you're working out – less stretch in the stomach"

"Well aren't you a well of info"

Paul walked over to the bar. Max noticed how crowded the bar was, and realised he'd take a while to order to drinks. Taking the opportunity firmly, she got up and ran to the toilet. Inside, she found a cubicle and locked the door. Pulling out her (undamaged) phone, she speed-dialled Chloe.

RING!

RING!

"What's up, Buttercup?" She came down the line "Are you OK? Look, I didn't mean to freak out like that, I just got too confused and personal, I'm sorry"

"I get it Chloe, but listen up, I got some cool bits of info on Paul…"

"You think he's the guy? Like, evidence and stuff?"

"Well, kind of…"

"Kind of, as in 'kind of a dick', or 'kind of stupid, or actually being a dick or stupid?"

"First one"

"Well, you still did good. I got some info as well: after I dropped you off, that guy – Jeff – he called me to replace the tyres on his car, and while I was there some Cops came over and took him in for questioning about Lucy, then later, those same two Cops came back in a different car, plain clothes and stayed in the house for another 2 hours or something"

"In the vision earlier, I saw that the newspapers a month from now would say that Lucy had had sexual relations with at least 3 men in one night"

"3? Holy shit"

"Holy shit indeed"

"You think Paul's involved?"

"In that, no. Or at least I hope not. I know so. But I think he could easily be the Portland Pounder"

"OK, let's cut to the change, do you want him inside of you by the end of the night?"

"No, you want to get on top of me tonight? I'll try to be even quieter this time – I promise"

"I'll come pick you guys up in 5 – might even bring some Divine intervention. Kate's a cool girl – she should totally be the third wheel here"

"She thinks so too – she said so herself"

Max then left the toilet, quickly washing her hands with soap, then a rinse before back out to Paul. She noticed something strange as she was walking back over to him; from a clear distance she could see that he was clearly looking off into the distance. Whether he was in thought or whether he was looking at someone was very hard to tell. She came back over to him.

"What you looking at, Arnold Schwarzenegger?"

"Wow, you make jokes now?" He smiled "T-t-that's cute"

"I always joke – I've just been very serious recently, but I can still it a go"

Max then picked up her drink, looked into it. She swirled it around, checking for something – some would say smart, but the truth was paranoia than anything – being drugged was not cool, as Max fully understood.

"You going to drink that any time soon?" He quizzed

"I know" she said, thinking smart, "You can drink the first half, and then I'll drink the second" She smiled "I mean, we're not going to share a kiss at any point tonight, so let's share this"

"You're funny Max…yes, of course" He said, relaxed and seemingly lacking of an ill intention "You want another drink?"

"Sure – another of the same"

Paul got up to the bar, just as it was going for closing time. Sensing a moment, Max looked inside both his jacket pockets, failing to find anything unusual inside. Suddenly, whilst feeling inside the pockets she found something…she could see him looking back, and his pace suddenly changed, moving quickly back towards the table as Max held what she'd found: black leather gloves that had a weird smell about them, like something sterile. Paul reached up to her, but quick as a bolt Max through the gloves back inside the jacket. As he stood over her, Max had to think fast:

"Just doing my laces" She said.

"O…K…I guess I believe you" Paul said, sounding suspicious "I think the bars closed – isn't Chloe picking us up?"

"I think she is, might be here in 4 minutes"

"In 4 minutes – that sounds oddly specific"

"She keeps to time"

"I thought she was always late"

Max's brow started to sweat – clearly whatever was on his gloves was a bad thing. Paul's demeanour was becoming slightly different as well; his eyes were narrower, his big arms becoming tense. The scary part, literally, was his sheer size and strength compared to her. Kneeling down, he reached into the pocket and held the gloves she had just been holding. She hadn't pushed them in far enough and he'd noticed it.

"You like my gloves? Leather ones are always the ones I have to use"

"Why have to?"

"Protect my hands during the cold weather"

"But it's not cold"

His stare was ominous.

"They smell weird" Max continued, hoping to keep him away long enough.

"I treat them" He simply replied "Your problem is that you are way too paranoid Max: there is nothing going on under the surface here. Do you suspect me of something at all?"

Choices running through her mind – yes, no, maybe…yes, no, maybe…

"Yes" she said, trying to sound confident but failing.

"And you came out anyway?" He asked "That's brave…"

"We're in a crowded bar, what are you going to do?"

"You think I'm THAT stupid. I can promise you, Maxine June Caulfield, I am not…"

"Hi Max, hi Paul" Came the sweet relieving sound of Kate's voice "Sorry, but we have to go – Chloe's parked 'illegally' and we got to go"

One month passed by, quicker than it felt like. Max's memories of that night home were Chloe and Kate riding in the cabin of the truck with herself and Paul riding in the loading part of the truck. Paul didn't really interact with her; he just kept looking back into the cabin to see if anyone was looking out into the back of the truck. Max wasn't frightened; she was concerned that were would be a sudden swerve and she go falling out of the truck, but was more concerned about staying in the same house as a man she expected of being a sadist, a pervert and a potential murderer. However, in the following month there wasn't a single reported incident of the Portland Pounder since Lucy Marsh's murder. There was a page on Social Media set up for Lucy Marsh, and people wishing the Marsh's well but none of the household paid any attention to that: Kate avoided all social media after Blackwell, Suanne and Richard were more concerned with face-to-face wishes and conversation and Lynn and Alyx were too young for that anyway. Paul had been spending a lot of time with Jeff in the gym, and no-one ever really saw him: he'd become almost a myth in the house he was staying in, like some kind of Hercules.

One day, Chloe and Max were laying on the bed, arms wrapped around each other. Suddenly Chloe's phone rang, and so did Max's. They both got up and ran to them. Chloe picked hers up:

"Hello?" She asked. Then there was a pause, then a sudden happy reaction "David?!" Never before had Chloe been so happy to hear from the stepfather she hated so much before speak to her.

Max picked up her phone – 'Home' read the contact, she hurriedly answered it "Mum! Dad! I'm fine, I'm so sorry I never told you!"

"Kate!" Chloe came running out of the room, Max following behind. Kate and her family were sat eating breakfast while Max and Chloe slept in. Suddenly, the door flung open and Chloe grabbed Kate, and Max followed. Kate smiled, but looked surprised.

"What is it?" She asked.

"There are survivors!" Chloe said "Step-hero led a rescue operation, and they've found over 100 survivors – Blackwell students, residents, you name it they found them!"

"They found survivors?" Kate asked. Nods from Chloe and Max led to a further group hug from the three of them "They-they got phone lines now too!"

"Yes! The storm took out all the powerlines and the radio towers, they got them working again! He said that there are survivors…" She started to sob "There are survivors…"

"Joyce?" Kate asked, but the sobs confirmed the worst. Then Kate had the idea: "We need to go visit them"

"Now, now…" Suanne began "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

Max, Chloe and Kate looked up at her in shock. Between the three of them there were certainly no cons to going and checking on the survivors of the biggest storm to hit Oregon in the last 20 years, or at least support them.

"I think it's what Jesus would want" Kate said "Max, we can make cookies for them"

"Sounds like a plan, Batgirl" Max said, giving Kate a playful mess of the hair.

"Alyx, Lynn, you want to help with making cookies?" Kate looked to her two younger sisters, and smiled as they both gave enthusiastic nods of the head. She looked over to Richard, her dad, who looked comforting and supportive without having to say it – as always. Kate stood up, wiped herself down and started to clear the cooking space. She looked at her two sisters "Make sure you two wash your hands, and I'll be checking" She smiled as her two sisters giggled at the thought of the delicious cookies they would be making. She looked at Max and gave a slight smile too – she knew what Max had done, Chloe knew what Max had done, but she knew the comfort Max took in the fact at least someone made it. And she knew that when the opportunity came, the trip to Arcadia Bay would be the best for both of them.


	4. Facing the Facts

**Life Is Not Normal**

 **Chapter Three: Facing the Facts**

14th of November 2013 came around, and the three greatest people to survive Hurricane Morpheus were driving the battered truck down the road to see the people who'd made it. Chloe sat at the helm with Kate sandwiched in-between her and Max.

"Hope they like the Cookies" Kate said.

"Of course they will, Kate" Max smiled "I had one…"

"You had one?"

"Just a small one…of each flavour" Max said, slightly guiltily.

"Basically, Max had 5 cookies that were intended for people who got hit by a Tornado last month" Chloe jabbed out a sarcastic remark, with a slight smile across her face.

"I was taste-testing, thanks Chloe!" She quipped back, secretly slightly hurt by implied selfishness, but able enough to not show it "And I can indeed confirm that those cookies would be fit for the Prince of Persia"

"Not to sound like an expert or anything, but I don't think the Prince of Persia has time for cookies; he's too busy climbing walls and keeping time safe" Kate said.

"He's got plenty of time for things – we both do, in a way. I could be the Princess of Persia; with my time power and his, we'll be the power couple of the decade! Life and video game, or life AS a video game…"

"Wow Max, you are being way too Meta right now for sober me" Chloe interrupted "Wait till I bake before you tell me all play all this on me"

"But we baked just yesterday – that's what we were just talking about" Kate said, innocently. She looked confused as Max and Chloe looked at each other and smiled – Chloe's slightly wider, and infinitely naughtier.

"Oh Kate, you're just hella sweet: all about Cookies, Tea and Violins. If I'd have known someone like you growing up I'm abso-fricking-lutely still be strawberry blonde"

"Well, I like your blue hair!" Max said, jokingly.

"Me too" Came the honest response from Kate.

"Oh man, not the both of you! OK, my car, my rules; only banter allowed up in this den! This truck is one finally tuned Bantmobile, so both better be down with it"

"I don't think we're banter types of people" Max replied.

"Well, let's just stick to whatever types of people you are then"

"I can do that"

"Well I mean, we're all the perfect team here – we've got Time Girl at the end there, Priceless here at the end, and Kate can be…" She paused "You can whatever you want to be"

"If we're going to be a different name, I'd like to be called Catlin – like Catlin Moran; she makes me laugh, and she's a confident strong person. She's like you two I guess"

Max looked over to Chloe, grinning with delight at the new found affection of Kate. Max said "Well, we can make you like Catlin Moran" She smiled as Kate flashed a smile at her "For instance, tell me: you see that Illuminati symbol right behind you? I'm telling you to call Chloe out on that crap right now!" She playfully commanded. Chloe gave a slightly tentative look.

"Chloe…" Kate begun, nervously "…you shouldn't do that" She tried.

"No, that's what the old Kate Marsh would say: Catlin would say something like, Chloe, you'll be going to hell in a flaming bin bag full of shit. We'll make a Catlin out of you yet"

"Maybe I can be Catlin at my own pace?"

Max and Chloe shrugged, because no matter how lame it was going to be it was always worth the try. The girls had been having such a massive laugh that they'd already missed the fact that they'd crossed over into Arcadia Bay, and Chloe suddenly slammed the brakes on the van. She looked out the window and saw a horrible monstrosity looming over the wreck of the town, a totem so horrific and vast that she had to get out the car to get a proper look for herself; it was a 60ft tall stone carved monument that looked like it had been rushed somewhat that cast a shadow down over the bay, and on the front of the monument was Nathan Prescott's portrait, standing alongside Victoria Chase, with the words 'For all those lost in the storm' written under their figures. Chloe's face turned to a snarl while Max and Kate stood back, watching the anger untwist out across the face and down into the body of their friend.

"What the fuck is this?" Chloe spat, looking up at the glorified gravestone "What the fucking FUCK is this? All those people down in the Bay who are dead or resume dead, and Nathan Prescott and Victoria Chase get given the special treatment. Those Prescott's killed this town long before that storm; taking over the businesses', driving out investors, killing off the fishing! But fuck all them – what about you Nathan? What about everything you did – you drugged me, abused me, threatened me and Max, bullied Kate, and allowed it all to happen right on your doorstep. Jefferson picked you because you were willing, not because you were sick. Mentally ill or not, I hope you burn for it. And you, Victoria Chase, I know all about your bullshit: that shit-stirring, teacher flirting, party-throwing, sadistic, twisted crap hasn't help you any has it? You almost made Kate jump off a fucking roof! You made everyone not part of that crappy little basement party group on the outside and you enjoyed it. People like you get this – little cunts with rich parents get this – but the thousands else who were not Prescotts' or Chases' get what? GET FUCKING WHAT?!"

She was then clawing at the floor, fingering the ground for rocks to throw, finding a rock the size of a clenched fist, and she held it for the briefest of moments before hurling it, right at the middle of Nathan's head – between the eyes. Max looked on, deciding whether or not to intervene in her moment of rage. Looking at the situation, she decided to do exactly as she'd done when Warren unloaded on Nathan; she stood back, and let all the anger come out of her friend. It was for the best – in her head, this was the feeling that Chloe had tried to unload on him but never had the chance to before.

"What?" Chloe screamed, as she hurled the rock.

"Why" As she hurled another.

"You…just…don't deserve this!" Another one. Rocks lowered down to pebbles to pieces of grit, as Chloe continued to throw stones for what seemed like forever.

Max looked at her friend, feeling as though this was the therapy she needed, but she turned to Kate and saw sadness blazed across it; Max had told Kate the truth and she'd accepted it, and didn't blame Nathan for anything that he'd done anymore. She turned back to Chloe to see her now strung out, sitting in the dust, crying. Max ran over to her, hugging her tightly.

"It's not fair" Chloe continued to cry "Nathan and Victoria don't deserve the special treatment…my Mum did…" She turned aside and buried her face into Max's shoulder, screaming into it. Max looked on, held her tightly as it necessitated, only looking on as Kate approached the bizarre memorial and looked up at it, like a dog looking up to its owner. Walking aside, she placed her hands together, flat and tight, and knelt down in front of the monument: praying. Chloe looked up, to see the girl who almost took her own life because of their behaviour and their actions praying for…something. Chloe turned to Max "Why can't I be like her? So nice and calm, so fucking precious; I just hate everyone. Except you, Rachel, Trevor, Justin and Mum – that was it. I was so cold when that storm hit, I only cared that I lived and you chose to let me live, but you and Kate were so hurt…"

"Hey" Max said "You did care; you cared about me, and how I felt. That is always enough that you'll ever have to do again. So much has changed…but you're still there for me, and that's all I can ever ask for"

"Thanks Max"

"You don't need to thank me"

"I do though"

Kate stood back up, and walked towards the pair of them, looking down at Chloe peacefully. Kneeling down, she took her arms from her side and held them around Chloe as she sobbed. Into her ear, she quietly spoke "I do understand you, Chloe. And I can't blame you for it; I almost wouldn't be able to myself if it wasn't for you two"

"Kate," Max began, before she suddenly stopped; she remembered that she hadn't yet told either of them about her vision that Kate would speak to Mark in the Dark Room today – if indeed it was today. She had to tell them both that he was still alive, but not straight away. Max continued "What did you say?"

"That I hoped that Nathan could get the help he deserved wherever he was. And I spoke to Victoria and told her that I accept her apology and that I forgive her for what she did"

"Could you forgive Mr Jefferson, if you had the chance?"

Kate paused, looking at Max in slight anger, with Chloe looking up with a far more vicious expression "Why would I talk to him, Max? Wait, did you see it?"

"Max, that motherfucker killed Rachel; why forgive him, let alone talk to him?!" Chloe spat.

"Kate, I did see it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't know how to. It was recent and I've thinking about it all night" Max lied: she'd really known for over a month, but might as well not mention that part.

"Did you know it would be today?" Chloe asked.

"No"

Kate started walking past Max and Chloe towards the truck, a new look of determination across her face "Well, let's go say hello"

"Yeah" Max said "Let's go face the facts"

The town's residents were clawing through the remaining wreckage with their bare hands. David Madsen, always a military man, had now worked out a routine by which the residents who'd survived had been working around the clock in shifts to help lift the wreckage off of the roads and train tracks so supplies could get into the town, and correct the powerlines so they could finally communicate. He had his buzz cut in good order, but his shaving had been growing extremely substandard over the past month; he looked like a mountain man to an extent, being well-built, bearded and slightly dishevelled. In the distance, he saw a truck coming over the horizon, and he instinctively started running towards the dust cloud that gathered – because his service had taught him one thing: "Fuck expectations, everything can happen". He smiled and laughed, as he recognised the truck as Chloe's. The vehicle came to a pause, as all the residents turned and saw three people climb out: a tall and slim blue haired girl in emo/rock chick attire, and two other girls, similar in height to each other, but one dressed in a very genre-less and generic t-shirt and jeans who had brunette hair, and another one dirty blonde with a fully buttoned up white shirt with a cross on a golden chain hanging over it, and a slightly ivy coloured suit over the top. David stood and stared, and so did the people who recognised all 3 of these girls – Chloe Price, Max Caulfield and Kate Marsh; Chloe had a strong reputation across Arcadia Bay, and Max and Kate had been all over the papers a month ago. David looked like his heart broke and then fixed itself, and Chloe looked accepting – not the most positive of emotions, but a world away from what it was. He just went running across the ruined town, towards her arms opened wide, and hers opened too. When the pair collided and hugged the onlookers gasped, and some even cheered like it was a cheesy 90's movie; the first time Chloe had ever shown David one ounce of affection and it happened to be without the normal conventions of the life they knew before. He sobbed into Chloe's leathered up shoulder.

"Chloe…" He begun "I'm sorry – for everything"

"Sorry?" She begun "You're a hero man; you pulled this town out of the dirt when no-one else would help – David, I'm proud of you" Chloe said, with resonating effect on him "I know I was bad to you, and that you were bad to me because of that, but I forgive you; you did your best, and I didn't help at all, and after all of this, I want to tell you I'm sorry" She expanded, trying (and somehow succeeding) not to cry as she did.

"But…your mother…" He started "She was one of the first we found; the diner got caved in, and some people managed to get out, but she got crushed under the collapsing roof. She wasn't alone; they found a dog in there" He continued.

"Pompidou!" Max uttered, in realisation that both Frank, and him, must be dead. He turned to see David face her, much less pleased to see her than he was to see Chloe – no doubt due to everything she put him through and the fact that in this timeline she had never personally apologised for it. Looking up at David, she could barely speak "David, I don't know if I ever said it, but…"

"Max, I never thanked you. I was so caught up in my duty I didn't thank you for helping out Chloe, or helping get me to that sick fuck Jefferson's bunker; we got him just as the storm got bad, so me, Berry and Barry knocked him cold and tied him up down there until it passed over. We're holding him there; the police station's fucked. But Max, listen; I thank you for allowing that to happen, and I thank you for keeping Chloe safe, and for saving Kate" His eyes glanced over to Kate, standing there nervously in front of the man who'd previously been so mean to her "And Kate? I want to know if you could ever forgive me for the way I behaved towards you; I felt like I put you on that roof, and that it would've taken God to get you down"

"Mr Madsen," Kate started "I forgave you the minute I was in the hospital…"

"Shit! The hospital; I almost forgot! The hospital was pretty much undamaged. Just some broken windows and damaged walls, but it was pretty good enough to some of the victims of the storm. We got a bunch of Blackwell students there…"

"That's wonderful" Kate said, enthusiastically "Can you take us to them please?"

David looked towards her "You guys aren't coming back to stay?"

"We're staying with Kate in Portland – we have been for a month" Max begun "But we have jobs now, and things aren't right here just yet"

"Max, nothing has been fine in this town for a long time, but we need as many people as we can here; the fuckwit Prescott family pulled all their investments after the storm, and all that's done is further bankrupt the town. Only thing that they did for this town was erect that fucking narcissistic thing for that prick Nathan, then get the hell outta dodge. You can do the same if you want, but…"

"It's not the same" Chloe calmly continued "We've got a life there – responsibilities…"

"That's not a reason Chloe; that's an excuse. You didn't call for a month…"

"I tried…"

"You didn't look for any of us"

"I'm sorry"

"Joyce deserved so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner; you owed it to her to look!"

Chloe looked to Max, remembering those exact words that she used when stood on the clifftop when she tried to tell Max that others mattered more than she did, right before the very moment she was shown how much she did truly matter. Looking back to David, again keeping her calm in ways that she never had managed before "I don't know David – none of us know how to handle this; standing up on that cliff, by the lighthouse, I just didn't know what to feel then, so we took the truck and ran…"

"So you came and looked for the truck, but not the people?" He asked, showing signs of his old resentment.

"Well, we're back now" Max interrupted "We're going to stay for two days; that's the amount of time we've both taken off work, now can you please take me, Chloe and Kate to the hospital as we really, REALLY, want to see if anyone survived?" She pleaded. As she did, she saw David motion towards a car off behind him.

David's car was really spacious compared to the enclosed nature of the van that the others had been travelling in, but the tension was far, far more palpable. Max looked around, unsettled. She saw Kate who was nervous, Chloe who was exhausted from restraining her feelings, and David who was ready to pop like he always did. Suddenly, Kate spoke:

"Weather's nice" She said, before suddenly realising she'd said exactly the wrong thing.

"It is nice: NOW!" David yelled "Last month it was fucking Iraq all over again; buildings destroyed, people dead, my family gone, and then there's me – me being the guy who saved the day by capturing Jefferson and getting the town back on track!" He then looked truly angry "Except I can't even have that anymore; you see, this town is still shit, and the only reason I caught Jefferson is because of Max and Chloe there being better with their brains than me with gear, and they get the real credit. And now they're back, they get it. Now, I literally have nothing…NOTHING!" He punched the steering wheel and the horn came on, but the sound remained – like a piano key being held down like an irritating drone sound "I spent 5 years trying to get you to like me Chloe, and you pushed me like a switch every fucking day, and the one day that I listened to you I went down to that basement…"

Chloe then suddenly snapped "I didn't push you! You pushed your way into my life – Mum and you got together less than a year after Dad died, and you didn't even try with me…"

"Didn't try?! What were all those cards, all those presents, all those offers for trips fishing?"

"I don't like fishing…"

"You fished all the fucking time; you just didn't want to go with me, because you fucking hate my guts!"

"I don't hate you…"

"Not now, right? But before you did, when you had other things to lose; Joyce ALWAYS wanted you and me to like each other, and it takes her dying for that happen?"

"No, it took Max showing me a better path…"

"What's Max got to do with this? What's Max got to do with you, me and Joyce?"

"Max knew Joyce before you ever did – she has a right…"

"More than me?! Max was the one who ruined my marriage – who was the reason why the last thing Joyce ever said to me was to get out her house. She has no value in this discussion"

"That's fucking unfair: you aren't the only fucking one here with survivor's guilt!"

"Oh you feel bad? Kate? Or does even Max back there feel something even close to what I feel?"

"Fuck yes she does, you military brat!"

The car then stopped, right outside the hospital, although no-one really had noticed, as David slammed on the brakes and opened the door, dragging Chloe out by her hair, her screaming loudly. Max leapt to the door, as Kate sat with eyes transfixed like a rabbit in headlights. Max stood and watched as David stood over Chloe, her looking mad. Thinking as she as she could, Max dived in the middle of the fight, staring down David. He stared back with clenched fists.

"Fuck you Max Caulfield. You always have to try and make everything right, but you don't – you just make it worse!"

"I know, but we need to move beyond this, otherwise how can Arcadia Bay ever be alright again?"

"I don't care about the Bay! I only cared about Joyce Price, Chloe, and the students at Blackwell. But now, with the town the way it is, Blackwell's out of commission – especially with Ray going off to all the funerals of the people we have now found. And Joyce – my whole life…" He trailed off, holding his tears in as best as he could "Joyce knew how hard duty as a soldier actually was, and how it affected me: how being forced to use your friends as sandbags when all was fucked does that, and I quit because one more dead friend would be too much. I come home, and I'm losing more people – I'm still failing to save lives. You know, Chloe, the doctors said that the roof came down on Joyce as she and others were leaving the Diner, and the roof broke her back – she was pinned down and paralyzed, but she laid there, stuck for another couple of hours in agony as no-one can help, and she dies there, in fucking agony; meanwhile her husband is tying up some sick criminal in a basement somewhere which is the only reason he survives, and her daughter is off on a clifftop with her new best friend! I'm sick of losing people…"

"David, last month was hell but being here is giving me some hope – there's something here people can work with. I believe you can too"

"What Max – what is there? You've probably already guessed this, but I'm struggling to see what there is that can help me out here"

Max's mind raced; she looked around. What David had ranted about for so long was totally true – the town was fucked. And how could she, the creator of this destruction, look him in the face and tell him that there was something fine. She could only see survivors, a purpose to rebuild the town, and the affection of Chloe. 'Wait, he'd always wanted Chloe's appraisal'…

 _David looks up at Max, angry, and starts charging at her, before Chloe pulls the gun she has out of the back of her jeans and a shot sounds off…_

Max held her head, not in pain, but still steadying her footing. She looked to see Chloe concerned, and Max mouthing one instruction: "Whatever happens, don't shoot him". She turned back to David, looking as calm as she can. She said "You still have your step-daughter; I saw the way you looked at her when we arrived back in town, and I know you love her, and always have, and it's not too late for you two to both show it to each other"

"Max, you don't understand…"

"David, I watched my hometown – along with all the places and all the people I knew throughout the years – get swept away like dirt, and it hurts in ways I can't explain: I think that it's because you can articulate your pain…"

"Pain's one word for it"

"David, please…let's stop this fighting. I'm so sorry about Joyce, and all the other thousands who died or are missing…"

"Most of them came back to help after the storm had fully subsided; it's nowhere near as bad as it was. You still should've help though"

"I know"

"Then why didn't you?!"

"I felt guilty…"

"I felt guilty, but I still had to help out didn't I?!" He said, walking towards her, before hearing a loud gunshot crack out right behind her. Max turned and saw Chloe pointing a gun in the air, with the smell of fired shell in the air. David stared at her, aghast "Is that my gun?"

"No!" She yelled "It was Nathan Prescott's"

"How'd you get it?"

"He threatened me with it, and I told him to give it over, and he did" She said, trying to sound tough.

"So now you're going to shoot me? For what; being in love with your Mum?"

"No, because you're threatening Max, and I won't let that slide"

Suddenly, the quiet voice of Kate popped up "David" She said, extending out her arms "You aren't alone"

"Yes I am Kate…" His voice seemed to be getting lower.

"I know someone who thought that exact same way just last month. She just needed a little hug and someone to tell her she was stronger than she was"

"Kate? How can you be this nice, to me and everyone else?"

"It's what Jesus would do" She said, a smile across her face and she took David in her arms and hugged him. For a second he seemed to resist, before he did wrap his arms around her "I understand you David, and you need to know that you did nothing to deserve what you've got, and I'm sorry it happened"

Chloe put her gun back in her jeans, and approached David calmly, with a slight saunter "I'm sorry David. You were right about me – I thought I knew better, and I wanted to push you away. I'll regret that my Mum died alone because of my behaviour, and I've decided to be better; better in life and with you" She looked to the side, looking at the hospital right in front of them all "Well, at least if something went wrong there's a hospital there" She said, before looking back to David. It was a long stare, before suddenly the pair of them did something that they'd never done together before – they laughed at a joke made by one of them. Suddenly the moment spread from those two, laughing strongly, to Kate, who started laughing too, and just as loud as the others. Max slowly joined in – in the back of her mind, she was worried that she'd almost messed up. She looked towards the hospital: now was the time to really face the facts of what she did.

The hospital was as clean and nice as she remembered it being – it was only lucky that the place hadn't been more vicious towards the hospital and the school. Max looked around the wards nervously, terrified that – for some obscure fucking reason – that someone would stand and point at her, screaming about the storm that she'd caused, and that the others in the hospital would rise up from their bed and lynch her, as Chloe stood on crying. She knew that was impossible, but it never left her brain. Then they turned the final door; the room with most of the Blackwell students that had survived the storm: Dana Ward, Warren Graham, Taylor Christensen, Courtney Wagner and Hayden Jones. Next to Dana, Trevor and Justin – Chloe's oldest friends outside of Rachel Amber – sat down, with a look like they'd been having the same conversation over and over for a month.

"Wassup bruh?" Chloe greeted them, with the same phrase she always greeted them with, only this time with far less optimism and swagger. They looked at her, dumbstruck "So…this is totally not sudden and awkward right?"

"Holy…shit!" Trevor said.

"What the fuck Chloe?" Justin continued "Where were you? We've been trying to call you for months"

"That's funny – I have too" She responded "You know, you didn't talk to you guys since Rachel. Now I've spent the last month trying to ring through"

"Shit's weird like that" Justin responded.

Kate then stepped more forward into the room, as the patients started to stir and look in her direction in shock, she sweetly holding the cookies as one by one they stood up in their chairs. Looking at all of them, she ran around each person one by one like a little squirrel as each of them looked more pained than the next. She then said "We brought cookies – thought you guys could use something to cheer you up"

"Kate, you don't need to do anything for us" Warren began.

"She did" Max said "Trust me, over the last month it's always been that way with Kate. She's her own woman"

"Max" He smiled "I'd hate to say I'm glad to see you, but…"

"You're really glad to see me?" Max smiled "And you know what, I'm really glad to see you too Warren"

"You're still Super Max aren't you? Surviving a storm, and coming back to see your friends against all odds, is exactly what one would do?"

"Really? Name one!" Max challenged, smiling.

"Give me time – I need to greet Kate" He said, looking up to Kate. She looked back "Kate, I'd thought I'd never see you again…"

"I knew we'd see you again Warren" She smiled.

"No, I mean I really, I could die any moment" He said, full of realism for the situation "I tried to run to my car after we left the diner, but it flipped on me, crushed my pelvis and my legs. It's complicated, but it's a question of when I die not if" He looked at Max "If you came to tell me anything important, not much I can do"

"My God Warren…" Max said, tearful "You didn't deserve it"

"Maybe I did. Maybe I got it for what I did to Nathan"

"No" Chloe interrupted "Nathan deserved that for what he did to you, and to others"

"Maybe…I was lucky someone found me – threw a sheet over me to keep me warm then ran off to get help. Someone every noise, I thought would be the last I'd hear"

"Warren…" Max remembered seeing a person like that, as they were making their way out of Arcadia Bay after the storm; she looked right at him, and just assumed he was dead, and then they left him: she left him there, to stew and fear.

"No-one came out fine" Trevor said, holding Dana's hand. Dana who loved to dance just lay there, damaged and broken. "We found a spot under the bridge – tied ourselves to it, and that was it. When we found Dana…" He started to sob, and then she started too.

"Max, Kate…please forgive me!" She pleaded, in a way that was so unlike her "I lost my baby – I let my little girl go! I wanted it gone, but not like this. And I didn't want her gone anymore" She started to cry, and Kate ran across the room and wrapped her arms around Dana like a Koala.

"I'm sorry Dana" She said "I'm sorry to all of you" She turned to the room and everyone in it, included Chloe, Max, and even motioning to David stood outside the door "I was out of down when the storm hit, and I wish I could've done anything to help"

Suddenly, two of the people who'd bullied Kate the worst – Courtney and Taylor – spoke up, but before something resembling a cohesive sentence came out, they were silenced by Kate's talking: "I'm sorry Taylor, about your Mum – I spoke to her during her time in this hospital. I know the surgery was hard on you and her, and I feel bad for you both. Courtney, I admire you for choosing to let me in the Vortex Club that night, even though I wasn't on the guest list, just because you wanted to be nice to me so badly. And I just wish I could do more for this town"

"My god Kate, I'm so sorry!" Taylor sobbed "I almost watched you die, and you're the one apologising to me; why is this?"

"Because you lost someone close to you, and I know how that feels"

"My Mum, or Victoria – because I lost them both"

Courtney then spoke "I know people hate that statue by the front of the town. Honestly, Victoria deserved it – she saved our lives"

Everyone looked stunned, as the story begun of how the queen Bee bitch of Blackwell supposedly saved her two friends, who she still treated like slaves:

"We were running back to the dorms from the End of the World party; parts of the building were being torn down, coming down on us as we ran, and a tree branch fell over me, and got stuck in the ground – I couldn't get it off me. I screamed out, but everyone was busy saving themselves. Victoria saw me, and she wasted her own time to get me out of there. We got up, were running and a piece of roof went straight through her" Courtney didn't cry, but she did look close to doing so "Say whatever you like about Victoria, but understand this: she saved my life – and I watched her die, violently, right in front of my fucking face! I can't leave that be"

"No" Hayden, sitting at the side added "Nathan and Victoria never deserved any of that. And you, Warren, beating him like that…"

"He had a gun – he threatened Max with it!" Warren sat up.

"I know what happened mate; I was the one who found him, hunched over almost dead after you punched the shit out of him!"

Chloe stepped forward "Hayden, drop it! No-one should be talking about Nathan anyway, or what happened to him. I'm not going to say he got what he deserved, but the matter should be laid to rest"

The room then went very quiet very quickly. It was as though the collective opinion of everyone in the room could turn John McClane scared in a moment. It was as if the Elephant in the room was creeping up to strangle someone with its great trunk; the elephant being Mark Jefferson, and the matters being the fact that two people in the room had almost bullied her to death because of what he did, and the others never suspected a thing.

"Kate" Dana murmured.

"Yes Dana?"

"I could do with a lot of cookies. When I get out of here I'll dance it off" She smiled. She and Kate then laughed a little "Those peanut butter ones could be really nice"

"According to Max they are" Kate clocked her eyes over to Max "And Max does know what's best for everyone" She said, intending it as a compliment, but was impossible to avoid the inevitable possibility that Max would feel the exact opposite thing. Kate reached into the box with the cookies and handed one right to Dana, then to Trevor "You're a good friend Dana"

"If you say so Kate"

"That's what friends do – they all say nice things to each other"

"Damn you're adorable!" Trevor teased. Kate then threw him a sarcastic look, as he held out a fist, and she – surprisingly – returned it.

"Now Kate" Chloe spoke "That is what Catlin would do"

"I'll make it yet"

Warren sat up as well as he could, and looked right at Max "Max, you never told us how you two made it out OK?"

"We went to the Lighthouse" Was the simple answer as given by Max, as though she was ashamed to even say how.

"Goddamn Max – you survived being out in the storm, without cover. You really are Super Max" He coughed a little.

"I had really great sidekicks" She glanced back to Chloe, smiling wildly.

"I'm glad you made it out. I'm glad for everything that happened…"

Hayden interrupted "Yeah, I'm glad too. You're cool Max, and Chloe too. I know I defend Nathan, but I suppose without the Vortex Club I don't know what to feel about him anymore"

"Feel like he just wanted whatever he felt after Rachel's death to be over" Max simply said "Mark Jefferson ended that, for what it's worth"

"We heard. Mark Jefferson though?!"

"I know…"

"Max," said Warren "What happened to Rachel?"

"Nathan gave her an overdose, trying to impress Jefferson with his similar artwork. He didn't mean it…"

"We know what he did mean though, don't we?" Chloe said, bitter and spiteful.

"Max, I need to know something. And I know we're in a crowded room, but I waited so damn long for you to be here, in this room at this point. I have waited because I want to know what you came to realise that day. That's all I've thought about because I have something to tell you as well, and I really have to get this off my chest. It might be the last thing I do"

"Warren, you can't ask that of me…"

"I need to Max – you're the thing that's kept going, and I don't care who hears what I have to say right now" His heart rate was getting faster and faster "Please Max, just give me this"

"I mind sharing mine though Warren…"

"Warren, drop it" Chloe, Kate and Trevor insisted as one.

"We may appear OK, but we're not" Chloe added.

"Well I'm not OK either, and I won't be until I've put this moment out of my mind"

Max started to shake; she can't say the truth in front of this many people, and even if it was one-on-one, how could she tell Warren now – Kate's reaction was bad enough, and Warren's would easily be a lot worse. "Warren, please…" She started.

"Max. On three, I'll say what's on mine and you say yours"

"OK Warren" said Max, as her brain went into overdrive; say something in front of this room full of her peers and friends, to a guy who she always had been fond of, but never in the way that he was for her. He meant well, but wasn't right. She had to say that side of the truth. It was decided.

Warren: "I love you Max"

Max: "I'm gay"

Warren looked hurt – really hurt. Max stood there, awkwardly absorbing the looks from all the people in the room looking up at her, their eyes dissecting her as she stood there. She could see his eyes looking up at Chloe, as sadness turned immediately to acceptance of the fact.

"Chloe?" Trevor and Justin looked up to her "Is it…?"

They stopped, as Chloe's strong, confident stare stopped them, and everyone else who had any questions about what her lover was into. The answer was obvious. Max looked around; people were clearly more struck by the awkwardness of this situation, but she had made this situation. Taylor and Courtney looked like they wanted to laugh – at the least snigger – but they were so disgusted with everything that had happened to do anything.

"I wish I could say I understood" Warren added "But I don't know anymore"

"Me neither" Max started to cry "I'm so sorry!" She broke down, and ran like a shot straight out the door. Chloe stood there, standing her ground.

"Hi guys" She said, as if nothing had just happened.

"So, what's it like?" Hayden asked

"What's what like?"

"Well, you know? Having sex with a lady, it's different isn't it?"

"Have you ever had sex with a lady? If you did you'd know how it works"

Kate intervened "Chloe, please can you relax? And Warren, I'm sorry for you"

"Sorry for me? Kate, I don't want or need your pity…"

"Don't talk that way. Max never asked for romance with you. I wished she had, but if she didn't I can't tell her off for that. Max has been as good a friend to you and me as anyone else. She cared about everyone – me, you Warren, Dana, and even Nathan and Victoria. Don't punish her for her feelings"

Max stood outside the room looking in, watching mouths move with muffled voices. She could see Chloe's arms folded, with a classic defensive emo badass look about her, Warren seemingly inconsolable at the discovery of Max's sexuality, Trevor and Justin looking fairly neutral at how one of their oldest friends who had possibly even been through them like a knife through butter – or some other phallic metaphor one can conjure up – was also playing for the 'other team' – again, some other metaphor could be used here. The room was ablaze with discussion, with Kate remaining calm in composure, Chloe looking like God couldn't even move her from her position, Dana trying to calm people down, Hayden looking neutral to everything, and Taylor and Courtney looking and feeling too guilty to really talk. Max was finding it weird; looking in and being unable to interact or change anything hadn't grown on her at all, and she'd forgotten exactly how bad she was with people before she'd discovered her now lost power. It felt like she was watching a TV adaptation of a play on mute – she couldn't figure out shit right now. Suddenly, she saw Warren starting to fain slightly, and her hand slammed to her head: another vision…

 _The clock on the hospital wall was exactly one minute ahead of when Max currently was, and as the group were talking in a blurry of noises and voices, Warren was crying in pain and then, suddenly, the heart monitor flat lined, and he lay still, and sad. He's dead, and Max was the cause – she'd murdered him._

Max looked up, guilt-ridden and shocked. Looking at Warren slowly slip from life, and could she really let him die sad and rejected like she saw? Another choice: to comfort him, or leave him? He'd been forcing him on her for so long that no-one could blame Max if she chose the latter, but she just couldn't do it.

"I'm so sorry Warren!" She ran in, crying "This is all my fault!" And she ran across the room, holding his head as she kissed him hard, and he cried to return it. Suddenly, as she was kissing him, she finally heard the dreadful drone of the flat line. She pulled back, crying uncontrollably over him, as she felt Chloe's hands slip in from behind her, holding her close. This gesture was intended to be consoling, but it only seemed to make her cry and convulse worse. Chloe looked over to Warren – in his moments of rigger he was smiling. Chloe held tighter as one by one, people looked across in a collective moment of not knowing how to respond to a situation like this: Dana cried, Courtney and Taylor cried, Justin and Trevor ran from, to throw up, and Hayden had a look of guilt for ripping him over Nathan's beating that happened in a world totally different from the one they were living in. Kate, surprisingly calm for having watched a person she considered a friend die right in front of her eyes, called for a nurse and walked over to Warren's body. When at his body, she closed his eyelids and kneeled alongside his body. Max looked at this, and then she wrestled from Chloe grip and just ran. She ran like she'd never run before, and before Chloe had known what had happened, she was out of the hospital.

Trevor asked "What's all her fault?"

Max breathed heavily: for someone who claimed never to have worked out in her life, she had run all the way up to the clifftop overlooking the Bay, by her guiding light – the Lighthouse. In this spot, a month ago, she'd watched her world destroyed in a blur of lightning, whirling water and wild wind. Now she looked over the Bay, and her favourite place had now become her least favourite. Over the edge of the grass to her left, she saw Kate, Chloe and both Trevor and Justin. She turned, grief-stricken, to face Chloe.

"You knew I'd be here?" She asked.

"We were debating checking Blackwell first" Kate said "But then said you absolutely would be here, so we listened"

"Well, looks like Chloe knows me the best of you guys then"

"And you hella grateful for it" Chloe laughed.

"What does that actually mean?" Kate asked, and Chloe laughed harder, but in a soft manner – the way good friends do.

"I just do" She responded, quickly. Cutting her eyes back to Max, "You keep dwelling on this moment, don't you?"

"It's…" Max started, not crying as she hadn't the tears to do so anymore "It's weird to see what happened to Warren. I mean, people died in that storm, and I knew they would when we were stood up here. It's just looking him in the eyes as he went was so horrible; he didn't deserve it, or at least not that" She turned to Chloe "And we left him at the side of the road – he was right there and we both left him. Man, this is all fucked" She turned to apologise to Kate…

"You're right" She said, in quick agreement.

"I just wanted the best for everyone, but the best for everyone just isn't possible. A world with me in San Francisco, Dana with her baby and Trevor, Warren still in a Science lab and me and Chloe Price kicking ass and having the time of our lives; that is what I want. But we can never have it"

"Please stop!" Chloe added "You sound like me now; one of us needs to be happy"

"But you are happy" Justin added "Chloe, you haven't been like this for months. I missed Rachel too, but there was no way that I missed her anywhere near the amount you did. We both should've been there for you"

"Not your fault" She said, plainly.

"So Nathan killed her?" He asked "Psycho prick would kill someone in the end, I always knew it!" He spat "I kept telling Dana to stay out the Vortex Club, or something would happen to her…"

"Something did happen to her" Trevor added "But Logan never wanted that baby anyway and she knew it. Personally, I always thought I'd be a good dad to that, like mine was to me. But I can't blame her for what happened to Xander"

"Xander?" Chloe asked, credulously "What the fuck kind of name is that for a baby?"

"Well I'm not going to let my kid have a boring name, like Chloe for instance" To which they both laughed.

"Oooooooo, burn!" Chloe laughed. She looked back to Max who was now smiling "Do you see, Max? Friends make things better, and you have them. And better than that, you've got me; I'm more into than you pot. And that's a lot, you know"

"I do"

"And I don't blame you for Warren; if it was one of these two, I might have done the same" She motioned to Trevor and Justin "And possibly Kate if she didn't mind" She joked, but saw that Kate didn't appreciate that "Sorry" She quickly corrected.

"He was strange" Max said "But a good strange; a wouldn't, couldn't, never hurt you, but weird you the hell out strange. I just wish we could've gone to drive-in – he'd surely see it as romance, but it would've great to just go. And because of me it's gone"

"No, please, stop thinking that. This town killed itself; a dying mass of fucking zombies going around under the Prescott regime, tearing up the woodlands and the oceans for a cent on a dollar!"

"You don't think that; this town gave me you, and I gave it death"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Trevor interjected "My head is fried right now just thinking about how you, a brunette lesbian who takes pictures on a cool retro camera, can cause a town destroying Tornado. You're not some supervillain or something"

"It's…complicated. Maybe, when I say that I feel to blame, I'm just annoyed I survived and others didn't"

"I feel that way, but it's like a genuine thing with you. Not like David, or Luke, where they lost people but just get on with it. You really blame yourself. Why?"

Max looked to Chloe, and Kate before she closed her eyes for a brief second with a hand to her head. Everyone looked at her, confused. She looked calm and in deep concentration. She then looked up "Trevor, a bird's going to crap on your head, then a ship in the distance will sound off its horn, then Chloe will laugh, and Kate will try to help you and fall over"

"I'm sorry, wha…"

Bird shit head Trevor on the head.

Ship sounded its horn.

Chloe laughed.

Kate fell over a groove as she tried to help.

Max stood up to help Kate off the ground, as Trevor looked at her confused "Like I said, it's complicated. We'll leave it at that" She told him. He nodded in acceptance "Trevor, look here" She said, before quickly snapping a photo with the camera that Chloe had given her. Pulling it out, she quickly shook it as per with her, handing it a confuse Trevor "Just so you can find some laughter in this situation"

"Erm…thanks Max" He said "Man, fuck that Tornado" He declared, defiantly "I get a good school, good friends, a hot as hell cheerleader girlfriend, a kid, and the skateboarding sites were pretty good. Now it's all gone, except the cheerleader girlfriend. But my God she won't be the same again; I go along with her CD's burned onto an IPod just for her, and she cries because she can't dance to it anymore. I got some of the other cheerleaders to put a card together for her, she ripped it up. Baby's gone, and every day the time I DON'T spend up at the hospital I spent finding a body, or a pet or some fucking thing from the wreckage. This sucks"

"What the town needs more than anything now is some Prescott dough" Chloe added.

Max looked up "Wait, I've got an idea. We can get the Prescott's to reinvest in this town"

"Us?" Trevor and Justin voiced as one "We're five barely adults…"

"Hey! I'm a proper adult!" Chloe added.

"OK, four barely adults and…whatever hella awesome thing Chloe is, but how are we going to be able to get the Prescott's to give the money back to the town?"

"Trust me, it's great" Max said, before putting a hand on Kate's shoulder "But Kate, you're going to need to be really, REALLY brave. For Arcadia Bay, for Luke and for Dana, and everyone else"

Kate looked up, realising exactly what she meant they needed to do "I guess now's the time for me to be Catlin then?" She asked, sheepishly "I don't think I can"

"I know Kate, but we need to"

Max shivered as she walked down into the Dark Room, as did Kate. Chloe, Justin and Trevor put up an argument but Max's made sense. The trap door to the basement, the room that had been the only reason him or David had survived, was like Pandora's Box as they slowly descended the steps. The five youngsters walked through the door, greeted by David and Officers Berry and Barry.

"Hey Kate" David said "It's all of our duties to inform you that nothing can prepare you for what's behind this door and we advise that you don't go in"

"I want to" Kate said "I want to see"

"OK. And Max, Chloe…we never would've done this without you. You two are exceptional girls, and you guys at the back, thanks for everything. I know how hard this is"

They passed through the door, the two officers signing them all in as visitors. Everything was as it was in the room, to be used when a court hearing could actually be given to Mark Jefferson for the bizarre crimes he'd committed. And speaking of which, Max could see him, white shirt and black trousers, slightly ginger hair and beard. His skinny, angular face snarled an aggressive smile back at them as he sat bound into his seat. Max stepped forward.

"Maxine Caulfield!" He shouted, startling Max through the simple memory of what he'd done to her "Stupid meddling bitch!"

"Please don't flatter me" She quickly, and suavely responded "But I'll take it anyways"

"No, what you will take is a cold pill, hopefully of Cyanide, and be done with it!"

"Please Mr Jefferson, you're trying too hard"

"Whereas you never tried at all, did you Max?"

"Try like Nathan or Victoria did? Or even yourself?"

"Yes! Artists with vision, with skill, who bravely expose themselves to the world…"

Chloe ran up to him, her fist colliding right with his face, in his nose which cracked with a loud click "Shut the fuck up!" She spat "Bravery – you're not brave, you're a coward!"

"Oh, I think you'll find, slut, I'm as brave as step-daddy out there" He looked over to Kate "And look – it's my masterpiece" He said, sadistically, watching her shake "Your folder's over there, in my cabinet. Go. Look at the pictures; they're so beautiful – you're so beautiful"

"That's enough Mr. Jefferson" Max sternly told him.

"Well Max I gotta say, that is respect. Even in custody, after all of this, I'm still a teacher to you. I'll always be Mr. Jefferson to you, won't I?"

Kate was walking around the space, looking at the camera set-up of the room, the way the various lights reflected off the white backdrop at the back of the room, running her hands along the equipment, feeling this fantastic set-up, trying to face what it had been used for.

"Hey Kate!" Mr Jefferson called "It's OK; think of this as round two of our sessions. You can cry, it'll make everything so much more beautiful"

"Why me?" She asked "Of everyone, you chose me"

"Don't be selfish – you think you were the only one? No, not even close. Like I said, don't be a martyr and take some responsibility"

Max put her hands on the arms of the chair, holding Mr Jefferson by his arms, and forcing herself right into his space "I told you, that's enough. You murdered how many people to achieve all this? And for what – nothing. Let's get something clear here – you are the equivalent to those pictures of a dot on a white canvas – all pointless. No-one would see these, no-one would wonder in them. You will be remembered for this, and nothing more"

"Then why did you come see me? To look me in the eyes, and let me know how much smarter than me you were Max? To let me see how beautiful your face is in the light, maybe?"

"Nathan's body. I came for Nathan's body – where is he buried?"

He looked up, quizzically "You want Nathan's body? Why, so you can…"

"It's not your business why – I just want it"

"So you care about him now?"

"I could say the same for you"

"Smart mouth bitch!" He spat "Hey guys, did these two tell you what they did to Nathan?" Him looking at Kate, Trevor and Justin "They broke into his dorm, and then they stood back as he was beaten to within an inch of his life by that science geek Warren Graham. You didn't care about him then, and you don't care about him now!"

Kate looked over at them "Is that true?" She asked.

Chloe stood strong "He came at us with a gun; we did nothing wrong"

"So he did – Warren beat Nathan up. How bad?"

"Oh, a few broken ribs, fractured jaw, the good stuff…" Jefferson laughed "Oh, and Chloe, right? I know what Nathan did to you. Oh I saw the picture, great cinematography but a shame about the model. Like a budget Rachel Amber!"

Chloe turned around, cigarette lighter in her hand, putting it right up to his hair "I'll show you hot model in a second you prick!" Trevor and Justin launching out and grabbing her, tugging her back before she could actually do anything "You killed Rachel – I don't care what you say, you FUCKING killed her!"

"Whatever" He plainly responded "Nathan really helped me with that one; saved me breaking up with her when she got boring"

"Rachel was never boring!"

"Yes she was – teacher/students relationships always teeter off towards the end, and that one was. It was just convenient was as bad with dosing as he was with his temper. You want to blame anyone for him doing what he did, don't blame me; blame his cunt of a father" He looked over at Kate, cringing at that word "What's the matter bunny? Don't like those words?" He smiled widely "Cunt!" He said, slowly, like a knife being pushed into the chest of someone "Oh you think that hurts, just look at your pictures; that folder back there. Go see" Kate flicked her eyes to the cabinet "GO AND SEE THEM!" He screamed.

"Kate, don't" Max pleaded, but Kate still made her way to cabinet, along with Trevor and Justin. Pulling folder after folder, looking up in disgust one after another; disgusted at the names alone.

"Deanna Williams?" Trevor asked, appalled.

"Megan Weaver?" Justin too asked.

"Lynn Cranford?" Kate asked too "She didn't even attend the Vortex Club!" She was now sad "You can't sit there and pin this all on Nathan"

"Oh I can" was the quick, relaxed reply "And you think those are bad, oh Kate, yours are wonderful!" He said, as Kate then found and pulled out her folder. She looked down, looking longingly to be able to go back and change everything back to that night and stop it. There was one photo, where she lying on her side, hands and feet bound tight with tape as she looked terrified and looking right into the lenses. That picture made her tremble as Mr Jefferson laughed "You were so doped – it was quite cute. Too bad Nathan didn't like them, or the fact we'd chosen you. Kid couldn't appreciate the beauty, the naivety, the sweetness of you Kate. Look at that picture, Kate: you're so sweet I taste you through the picture"

"Why me?! Why on Earth did you choose me?!" She screamed "After everything I did for you, you did this to me. I almost jumped from a roof because of this. Nathan…Nathan never sent me a note because he felt guilty? But he wasn't; you were"

"I'm not guilty; guilty is what people like you feel when they've done something that contradicts them, and that video is not on me"

Trevor turned to him "Shut up, stop validating all of this; you used the Prescott's, you used the students and you used the school for this sick stuff! This is sick, and you can't possibly deny that! And don't you dare victimise Kate for what YOU did to her!"

"Big man, I don't even know you"

"And now everyone knows you"

Max interrupted "Back to the point – Nathan's body, where did you bury him after you killed him?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Nathan is dead, and I know you killed him. You owe it to this town…"

"This town is dead! Fuck it"

"Then fuck you!"

"Well, aren't you a million miles from where you started" He smiled "Oh Max, you used to be so innocent. What happened?"

"Life. A strange life over a month and a half happened, where I saw things no-one should see"

"And that's what art is made of; experiences, like that storm for instance"

Chloe interrupted "If you mention art one more time…"

"I know" He snarled "You think I'm so heartless that I didn't care when that storm hit? That when the ceiling shook I wasn't secretly terrified that the roof would cave in?"

"Yes, I think you're so heartless you only care about yourself – 'the roof caves in'? The chance would've been a fine thing"

"Well it's easier than thinking about whatever trash died up there"

At that point Chloe lost it, and Max moved in front of her to try and talk her down, Trevor and Justin trying to hold her. It was futile; as she charged forward so fast she was past Max before there was time to think, just wailing into Mr Jefferson. Her fists were furious, and relentless, until finally Trevor pulled her away, and Kate ran to her, holding her closely. It seemed to have a calming effect, as Chloe immediately became docile again. Jefferson had a split brow, and his eye was black. His glasses lay broken on the floor, and his expression was angry.

"Goddamit!" He yelled "You guys are no better than me – you, Maxine Caulfield, are no better than me!"

"What I did, I can justify" Max said, referring to not only Nathan's beating, but also that storm "What can you actually justify?" She pulled out her phone, and selected her voicemail, placing it on loud speaker "Listen to this"

" _Max, i-i-it's Nathan. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt Kate, or Rachel…didn't want to hurt anybody. Everybody…used me! Mr Jefferson is coming for me now; all this shit will be over soon. Watch out Max – he wants to hurt you next…I'm sorry"_

"You hear that?" She asked him, as the others looked on, shocked at what they'd just heard from Nathan "You hear how scared he was, do you have any…AHHHHHHHHHH!" Max kneeled over, hands clasped to her screaming, writhing head. All she could hear as she faded out was Chloe calling her name, holding her by her sides…

 _Max couldn't move. At least not on her own, but she felt ridiculously in pain. She could feel her head, ribs and everything hurting._

 _"I think my face is broken" A voice came out, without her control. She then realised – she was in Nathan's head, seeing his moments after they'd left him there "Everybody hates me! EVERYBODY!" He screamed._

 _"Nathan?" Hayden's voice came nearer to him "Nathan, you OK? What happened?"_

 _"That bitch Warren Graham…he won't get away with this"_

 _"Warren? He did this to you? Shit man, let's get you to a doctor"_

 _"Fuck that shit – I got a ton of meds in my room, take me there!"_

 _Nathan lay on his bed, his jacket taken off as Hayden injected him with as much drugs as Nathan could take, to balance out the pain. He sat up, still in pain, as Hayden looked at him._

 _"Blue haired bitch friend of Max Caulfield. I knew she was bad news!" He yelled "Hayden, there's a phone down there, by the wall. Give it to me"_

 _"Mate, there's no phone here"_

 _"What?" He sounded panicked "Where you looking? Are you sure you're looking properly?"_

 _"Completely"_

 _Nathan spun around, and ran to where his phone used to be. It wasn't there._

 _"Fucking whore bitches!" He yelled "That Max Caulfield has it; her and that fucking girl, Chloe Price, they were here and they've got it! Just they wait – I'll give that snitch bitch Max and that blue-haired loser some stitches!"_

 _"Nathan…"_

 _"Hayden, all the money in my wallet if you help me to my car"_

 _Hayden loaded Nathan into his SUV, Nathan turning to him and smiling as well as he could._

 _"Hayden," He started "Whatever happens, stay safe. Because you are one of the safest people I know" He then reached into his wallet and threw the cash aside, ripping it off out of the car park._

 _"Nathan! This is $1,000!" Was the last thing Hayden had the chance to say to Nathan._

 _He arrived at the farm late, hauling himself out, and despite his pain ran down to the hatch. He could see the padlock was busted._

" _FUCK!" He screamed, as he made his way down. At the best of the steps, he saw Jefferson stood there. Arms folded, he looked mad. Suddenly, his expression changed when he saw Nathan's bruised and battered face "Max…Chloe…Warren, they know I've been drugging girls!"_

" _What did they do Nathan?" He asked, concerned._

" _They broke into my room – they took my phone, the one I use for drugs and your calls"_

" _So we're fucked?"_

" _I knew I shouldn't have taken on that blue-haired slut – I knew she was trouble! And she's tough too. If only she didn't have Max Caulfield with her!"_

" _Wait" Jefferson remembered "Girl with blue hair? Chloe Price?"_

 _Nathan shrugged. He pulled the photo he took of Chloe from his back pocket and threw It to her "She was an easy target, but the dose was too small. She woke up and saw me, and what I was doing"_

 _Jefferson looked mad now "So you fucked up. You got upset because Kate almost jumped from a roof, and you let some Steampunk slut and her geeky friends get the upper hand"_

 _Nathan looked up at him "Nothing happened to Kate though – she just got drunk, and started living for once in her religious, closeted life…wait, no…you didn't?" He jumped up, throwing folder after folder out of the case, in spite of Jefferson yelling at him to calm down. Then he found it: Kate's folder. Opening it, he crumbled to the floor "I told you I didn't want to do her! Why did you do it?! Why are her eyes so strange?"_

" _They're my photos, and you'll do what you're meant to do, for me!"_

" _I did! You asked for a private, off the books place to take pictures for a Portfolio – our Portfolio – and I gave you that space. You promise me a career in this niche, you promised me you'd be proud of me, but you're not! These pictures don't even have watermarks: why no watermarks?"_

" _You think I could publish these? They're pictures of girls being filmed in a dosed state – that's 'illegal' don't you know?"_

" _You told me they're always unconscious. You told me that they consent to it with you. Why aren't they unconscious – why are their eyes open? Why are Kate's eyes so…scared?!"_

" _Nathan, you know it works best with only slightly conscious model. That's why this 'Chloe' looks so shit. No emotion, no transition, no shade. Such a waste of talent!"_

 _Nathan pointed at him, harshly "Don't say that!" Before he noticed two additional folders on the desk. They were labelled 'Victoria' and 'Rachel'. He quickly ripped his way through the Rachel folder, as he saw Rachel Amber tied up, eyes closed, and then one last picture of Rachel in the ground, with his arms folded around her, his eyes looking high and confused. Looking up at Mr Jefferson, he uttered "What is this? Rachel – where is she?"_

" _She's where you put her" He said "You don't remember, do you? You really can't get this doping thing right, can you?"_

" _I didn't drug her though! You did!" Max could feel Nathan's rage and confusion bubbling up inside him "What the fuck am I doing there?"_

" _She was so still; didn't you wonder? What had happen? And what more poetic ending could she have had than to be in the arms of the man who could never have had her. Rather than the man who lost her of course"_

" _Man who lost her – Frank?" Then he realised "Wait…you were fucking Rachel? You knew what was going on between us, and you fucked her?"_

" _I didn't fuck her – I made love to her. Please get that part right"_

" _So you drugged me, after I'd brought her here…God, she was one of my best friends…I loved her so much! I loved every bit of her happy, warming body, and her calming ways, and I killed her. Max was right about me" He started to cry "I hurt everyone. I hurt Kate…oh God, Kate!"_

" _Shut up! Quit crying, we got to get going. Victoria's going to be at the Everyday Heroes Contest…"_

" _NO!" Nathan stood up, ignoring the obvious pain he was in "You are NOT touching Victoria you creep! She's my best friend, and I'll kill you if you do!" He reached for his gun, but it wasn't there._

" _It's not a 'please', Nathan – get the fuck out of here, get Victoria and bring her back here. While you're at it, get that nosy dyke duo Max and Chloe too. A bullet for them both though, not a pill though"_

" _Kill Max? I can't do that. I-I-I don't hate her…"_

" _Wow, look at you, the little Prescott fuck-up who can't get anything right except fuck things up! You killed Rachel, and you know it, and you're going to kill Max Caulfield for finding out the truth"_

" _The truth is that you used me, lied to me, killed the girl I love and almost let another girl die! Kate was OK – preachy, but she was fine, and she didn't deserve any of that!"_

 _Jefferson pulled a gun from his pocket, and fired it, the bullet going straight through Nathan's hand as he turned and fled._

 _Nathan ran and ran out through the barn to his SUV, driving off, the pain still killing him, but he had to get to the school – to get to the End of the World Party and warn everyone. He was driving as fast as he could, but he could also see the pursuing car in the rear-view mirror. He had to do something to at least make sure someone would be OK. He held his phone to his ear, sobbing, to the person he needed to explain to the most: "Max, i-i-it's Nathan. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt Kate, or Rachel…didn't want to hurt anybody. Everybody…used me! Mr Jefferson is coming for me now; all this shit will be over soon. Watch out Max – he wants to hurt you next…I'm sorry" He drove into the Blackwell car park, when suddenly his back tyre went: shot out, as he went swerving and sliding, ending up crashing._

 _As Nathan came to, he looked to his right to see his mentor digging a hole in front of Samuel the janitor's tool-shed, on the Blackwell grounds. He tried to scream, but something tied his mouth. Mr Jefferson then stood over him._

" _You see that?" He pointed to the hole "That is where you're going to go to die. Think of it as an honour – Rachel never got to see her grave, and neither did any of the others who've found out the truth. It'll take two hours to fill the hole, just in time for me to attend the Contest and announce the winner. Then, with a text from your phone, going to text those two interfering bitches and kill them over Rachel's grave. Actually, Max will make a great model, I'll keep her alive. Fuck the other one, am I right? She's just a bad model in general; not your fault your shadow-play couldn't help you out. When I'm done, I'll cover up your grave with some artificial grass and no-one will EVER find you, and with everyone out at your party that no-one will miss you at, no-one is going to see, or hear me. Perfect" He grabbed Nathan's body and pulled him towards the hole, tossing him down "I would say you were a good student, but…goodbye Nathan" He said, as he fired a round into the hole._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Max finally came to again.

"Max?" Chloe held her "You OK?"

"Yes Max?" Jefferson taunted, "Are you OK?"

She snapped her eyes up to him, snarling. She took her phone from her pocket. "Hey, Officer Berry?" She called "Do you have the personal line for Sean Prescott?" The Officer came in, quickly rattling off a number, with Max quickly plugging it into her phone. Holding it to her ear, she heard the phone ring off before a quick answer.

"Sean Prescott" The deep voice came from the end of the line. Max had to be forceful with him, so he'd listen, and actually take some notice of what she was saying.

"My name is Keyser Soze, and I have some information on your son for you?"

"You're name is not Keyser Soze, and if this is a prank…"

"OK, you're right. I won't give you my real name, but I do actually have information on your son, Nathan Prescott, who was murdered by Mark Jefferson on the 10th of October this year"

Silence filled the line "Jefferson killed Nathan?"

"Yes he did" Max looked over "I'm looking at him right now, looking very, very sorry indeed" She said, looking at a mad Mark Jefferson "Who wasn't so repentant as to tell us where the body was, but we got it out of him in the end"

"What's your name?"

"Not giving it to you, won't give it you"

"So why am I giving you my time?"

"Why am I paying to call you? Listen to me if you give even a little bit of a shit about Nathan" She looked around, to see Chloe looking quite impressed with her directness "You still there?" She asked.

"Yes I'm here. I'm listening"

"One thing…" Max started.

"Whoa, one thing? So you're not some good Samaritan then – you want a deal? Well fuck you! I lost my son…"

"I lost my town!"

"So you're an Arcadia resident. Fine, I love the town, but there's no deal"

"I think you'll like the deal, because it's so simple: simply adjust that fucking stupid totem at the front of the town to include ALL the deceased, not just those two people. Then use your vast amounts of money to help put the town back together. Nathan would want that…"

"Ohh!" The voice was now cocky and impatient "You know what Nathan must want…let me guess, you're some Blackwell student who…" He stopped "Wait, are you that girl that Nathan was having issues with, erm, 'Something' Caulfield? Am I right?"

Max stopped, nervous – she had to get this right "Yes" She was honest.

"And now you want to help him out? From beyond the grave, and all because YOU know what HE would want"

"Yes. Now, are you listening? I'm going to hang up, and once you've restored your investments call me back, and I'll tell you where he's buried"

"I can do that"

Max then hung up. She looked over to see Kate, Justin and Trevor still looking through the photos, murmuring things as they flicked through the folders one by one. Kate becoming more and more disturbed as it went forth. She turned to Chloe, who held her again "That was so horrible!" She said, as she held Chloe closely, running her hands around her back in a tender, passionate manner "I-I saw what Nathan saw" She said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I was inside Nathan's head – I could see his thoughts as he did after we left him up in the dorms. By God, he didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve ANY of that. I hate what he did, but I can't hate him. I can just be sorry for him"

The phone rang. Max hurriedly picked it up.

"It's done. Now where is Nathan buried?"

Max turned to face Jefferson, and smiled "Jefferson buried Nathan on the Blackwell grounds, outside the girl's dorms just parallel to the janitor's office. He covered the dirt with artificial grass to hide the digging. Nathan will be gagged with some kind of tie, and will be buried without his jacket. You can ring the police and send them over"

"Whatever your name is, thanks. Now, NEVER call this number aga…" Max hung up on before he could finish.

"What the fuck Max?" Jefferson asked "How on Earth could you possibly know that?"

"I just did – just like why did you do all this? Because you just did. But now you've been rumbled, now you'll be a murderer as well as a kidnapper and pervert. You, captured in a moment, right now". She did the one thing that she could do to make him understand that little bit more: she took a picture of him, placing it on his lap. She had debated about it, but fuck it, he was going to prison anyway; give him a little gift for his troubles. She turned, looking at the man with the broken nose, and glasses, reduced from celebrity to nothing.

Chloe just spat in his direction "Prick" She simply said. As the two were leaving the room, they saw Kate, sobbing over her folder. She looked at her horrid, creepy photo collection as she, holding, walked over to him tied to a chair "Kate, its OK now. Just leave him…"

"Its fine Chloe" Kate started "I've got to say this" She leaned over him, letting him see the photos inside the folder "I don't know why you insisted on me. Why you had to do you did, or why you had to make me feel so guilty about it" She started to cry again "The last thing you told me, before I headed off to that roof, was that I deserved it. But I didn't, you just don't care what I think, or what other people do. I almost committed a sin that day – a really, REALLY bad one"

"So what?" He mocked "You gonna tell me you forgive me, and you hope for the best?"

"No" She said simply "I don't forgive you – I forgive MYSELF for feeling so hurt that I almost killed myself. I forgive myself for being weak, but I won't be anymore. Good luck in prison" She finally threw the folder down at his feet, as they all left the room.

Chloe and Max waved off Trevor and Justin by their car, as they went off to continue doing what they doing – helping the town. David hugged Chloe by the car.

"You sure you can't stay?"

"Not right now" She said "Got stuff to deal with back at Portland, but I'll call you. And thank you David, for being brave. And strong"

"That's OK" He smiled back "And Max – wanted to tell you that the people dug up Nathan's body exactly where you pointed to it. Great news; Mark Jefferson is now going to prison and never being released, and it's thanks to you"

"That's OK" She calmly said. She lay her head back as the truck turned around, and Chloe, Kate and Max drove back in the direction they just came. Suddenly, Max felt herself falling, and falling, and turning in weird ways and directions.

Then she woke up, in a graveyard…


	5. Rachel Getting Introduced

**Life Is Not Normal**

 **Chapter Four: Rachel Getting Introduced**

The graveyard was vast. Gravestones stretched for miles and miles. Max stood, and ran through the gravestones until, after an eternity, she found three unmarked, freshly buried graves. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily in exasperation, and she clawed with her thin, writhe wrists at the revealing the spaces one by one. She pulled away at the first grave, finally revealing a face underneath: she had never met this person officially, but she recognised it in a click, because it was Rachel Amber.

"Where am I?" She asked, looking up to the grey, cloudless sky that cover the vast stretch of burial grounds "Is this all the people who died in the storm?"

"How should I know?" Came the sweet voice from Rachel's body. Max looked down, to see Rachel smiling and laughing up at her, "I'm so sorry! You must have had the fright of your life. Oh, wait, no it's not" The body from the chin down was totally motionless, but the face was full of life "So you're the badass bitch back in town right? Max? Chloe talked about you A LOT! I wondered what you'd be like, and I must say, I'm hella impressed sister!"

"Chloe talked about you all the time too"

"She did love me didn't she…AND your mission to find out what happened to me destroyed around 90% of my hometown. Tell me, honestly, as friends…"

Max looked confused "Friends?" She laughed, nervousness clutching every part of her voice "I mean you sound and look really cool, but I'm not sure I can class you as a friend"

"Me? Oh sister, you flatter yourself!" She laughed, her voice like honey "No, I meant these two losers to the left of me"

"Loser?" Came a male voice under the middle grave "I'm not a loser, Prescott's don't lose!"

Max clawed at the dirt, gradually revealing Nathan underneath, looking up at her with a huge shark-like grin; it was both scary and relaxing, relaxing in the sense that it was nowhere near the type of terror Nathan usually evoked in a person "S'up Max!" He smiled "How's things back home? Still fucked up? Or worse than before?"

"Worse" Max responded guiltily.

"Well to be fair, I'd find it hard to choose between Chloe and the town" Rachel added "I mean, I hardly knew those fuckers, did you Nathan?"

"No – most of them were just cool photo bait for the Vortex Club antics, right?"

"Man, Nathan, people can say what they like about you, but you threw the best – and I mean the BEST – parties this side of Los Angeles" Rachel sighed "I wished I actually got to LA. Would've been sweet; me modelling, Max here taking the pictures, Nathan being the Pap magnet, Chloe being security, and Victoria over there exhibiting said photos in her gallery there"

Max turned to the furthest grave along. Victoria must under there – she dug at the dirt and indeed it was. Victoria, classic bitch face, looked right up at Max, unimpressed but still neutral "Hi hippy" She said "So…we three are all dead, and no-one found our bodies"

"Well, one of us did" Nathan smiled.

"Oh really? Is this just the natural benefit of being a Prescott?"

"Erm, sorry Vic – Chloe and Max here found mine, and the police picked me up last month but I'm still waiting on the funeral" Rachel said. The three then paused, and all laughed together. Max looked at them – it was weird, because Nathan was never this happy, Victoria was never this nice and Rachel…she had never met before.

"Well, where am I?" Max asked.

"I believe you're in what one would call 'a nightmare' and you are experiencing aberrations of some people you wished you got to talk to before they died" Rachel explained "I, for instance, wanted to talk to you about how you love Chloe SO MUCH! I watched your squirting the bed last month by the way, it's classic…"

"How did you get that?" Max asked, appalled.

"So many channels" Nathan laughed "We all watched it. And my god Max, you're more of a freak than Rachel here is; and this girl's REALLY dirty!"

"Fuck you Nathan!" She laughed "I should really hate you, you know!"

"I said I was sorry!" Nathan expiated "And it was an accident. Blame Jefferson, not me. That's what I'm doing"

Victoria looked across "I know I hated the fact that you had him, Rachel. I'm glad I didn't now! What was weird, creepy man he was"

"He was so shit in bed too – not worth it" Rachel added.

Max looked on the three open graves, of Rachel and Nathan and Victoria lying perfectly still, with a mixed feeling of relief and gratitude. They all did look so much happier now than they were in the real world, but that was likely only because they were imagining it. She turned to Nathan: "Nathan, I-I-I saw into your head after we left you…"

"You mean after that beta bitch Warren Graham laid a serious beat down on me?"

"…Yes" Max hesitated.

"It's OK – it's my fault for being such a bastard. Not just to Chloe, and Kate or even you, but to everyone who was around me and not able to give me what I needed. I needed it"

"No Nathan – I did care about you"

"Yes you did – you cared about what you believe I'd done, and you were right. But Max, you don't remember the first time we met, do you? On the induction day, with the whole of the Jefferson class, right?"

"I…think I do"

"Well I remember you – you sat at the back, away from all the people you mucked in with after class, with your retro camera when everyone else had digital. I saw you and thought you were weirdly, coolly pretentious. It was so nice to see someone like you who was different without even trying to be. So unique and awesome. And I wish I'd had the chance to be nicer to you; that it didn't take me trying to impress Jefferson by photographing your lover to get us to properly talk. Victoria, over here, was jealous and that…"

"Don't put me in it!" She responded "Max, I did like you. We just didn't crossover in the social circles"

"We could've. I'm sorry you died Victoria"

"I understand why – you really love that girl Chloe, right? It's OK, I've heard the way Rachel talks about her, she sounds like a wicked girl"

"Oh, trust me, you don't know the half of it" She laughed "But yes, Max, I just was about to ask you – 90% of the town dead, Victoria died, Dana Ward's baby died and thousands of other, buried in this graveyard, died in this storm that happened because you wanted to save Chloe's life. Tell me, honestly, was it worth it?" Rachel tilted her eyebrows slightly "Was that massive, huge, squirting orgasm worth hundreds or even thousands of lives?"

"I…I…I don't know anymore…"

"Oh come on, you can't keep thinking like that sister! Seriously girlfriend – YOU need to take, and flaunt, your skinny white ass around with that girl because Chloe Price is, actually, priceless. That, and also you're going to spend your whole life miserable if you keep that shit up, seriously!" Rachel told her "You think if I gave a shit what people told me I'd even talk to Frank, god bless him, or any student who a skater, painter, geek, gay, fat or athlete? You can't please everyone anymore Max – you got to do what you have in life now"

"I…I…"

"For god's sake Max," Victoria interrupted "I felt terrible for what happened to Kate, but I can't spend eternity feeling terrible that I let things get to that point. You've got Kate to help through her own issues, and you can't be dwelling anymore on your issues. You need to avenge Lucy Marsh"

"Oh this is exciting!" Nathan laughed "Super Max comes to save the day, again! Just don't cause another Tornado" He said, causing Rachel and Victoria to laugh…Max listened, and listened, until she too started laughing too. Only Chloe made her laugh like this "Seriously though Max, you're a great person, and I know that you'll do good with this one"

Rachel smiled "Yes, you and that team of yours. I think I fancy all three of them"

"Even Kate?" Max asked, somewhat intrigued.

"You know what they say about religious chicks – total freaks in the sheets. I wanna see for myself" Rachel laughed again "Listen Max, I know Chloe isn't replacing me with you – she DOES love you, so stop thinking about that. And don't say you don't, because I know you do: I'm in your head space after all. When you see Chloe, tell her this EXACT phrase: "The dragon has flown", don't worry she'll get it. And tell Kate that…I miss her company, and I wish me and her had gotten to have tea like we'd planned"

"Hey, we have tea all the time!" Max said "It's great"

"Oh, that makes me sad now. Eh, I'll be fine!" She smiled "Good luck Max"

Max smiled towards all three of them. She silently acknowledged all of them, as Victoria returned a sly, sweet grin; Nathan smiled a normal smile of a genuinely peaceful state; and Rachel smiled big and wide, laughing an awesome, echo-y laugh that reverbed like a cathedral, immersing everyone in the world with its great sound. Max put out her arms wide as she spun around and around, like a top. It was great to finally meet Rachel…

"Max?" "Max?" Was what she heard as soon as she'd awoken. They hadn't driven far; only a few miles from the town. Chloe looked confused as Kate drove.

"We swapped" Kate explained "Chloe was tired"

"The dragon has flown" Immediately came from Max's mouth. Words exited and instantly Chloe's ears pricked up, looking straight at Max.

"Where did you hear that phrase?!" She asked, excitedly.

"…Erm…" What was the best way to explain it? Max quickly decided on honestly with her "Rachel told me"

"Wha…what?" Chloe cried a little "Oh my god, Dragon was my secret nickname for her! I was the only one who called her it – what did she say?"

"She said that you are worth everything in the world, that she approves of 'us', and that she misses you, Kate" Kate turned her head "And that she wishes you and her had actually managed to go for tea"

"That's really sweet of her"

"And Kate…Nathan and Victoria said they regret everything they did; they told me to help you through the situation with Lucy, and they wished that…that I'd have been cool to hang out with before"

"Well, at least that's something" Chloe said, nonchalantly. They drove past a newspaper stand, and Chloe quickly ran and grabbed the paper:

It read exactly per Max's vision, telling of their return to the town, and the bravery of David Madsen and his accomplishments and feats. It was a great picture, and a great moment. However the next page showed exactly the opposite; that Lucy Marsh was revealed to have sex with three male donors. The paper revealed that one was her boyfriend, Jeff Morten, but the others were so far unidentified.


End file.
